Lichen planus, in fact, is not what we usually call ringworm, but a relatively common superficial, non-infectious, chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in the oral mucosa, but also in the skin, genitals, and fingernails or toenails.
Oral mucosal lichen planus is one of the common oral mucosal diseases, and it is generally believed that lichen planus is the most common of the oral mucosa, except for recurrent oral ulcers. From teenage children to 80 years old can develop, more women than men, middle-aged people are more likely to develop, with 30-50 years old accounting for the largest proportion, and the symptoms increase with age.
Oral mucosal lichen planus features: can occur in any part of the oral mucosa, lesions often occur in multiple parts at the same time, mostly symmetrical, the cheek is the most common, followed by the tongue, lips, gums, migratory groove mucosa and palate mucosa and floor of the mouth mucosa. The incidence is generally below 10%. Patients mostly have no obvious conscious symptoms, often found by chance, or by local mucosal roughness, burning sensation and local burning pain in the presence of spicy, hot, sour and salty stimuli. The course of the disease is mostly chronic with repeated fluctuations, which can last for months to years, or even decades or longer. It can also occur intermittently and have a long remission period.
The basic damage is grayish white keratotic papules, the size of a pinhead, arranged in stripes, reticulated, dendritic, plaque or annular semi-annular papules, atrophy, congestion, vesicles or blisters, and other forms of lesions, which can appear at the same time, and can overlap and transform each other, and the disease can have repeated fluctuations, varying in severity, and difficult to self-heal.
The lesions of lichen planus are flat papules slightly above the skin surface, corn to green bean in size, polygonal in shape, with clear boundaries. They are mostly purplish-red and may be hypopigmented, hyperpigmented or normal. Some papules can be seen as small white spots or shallow reticulated white streaks, mostly on the forearms, wrists, lower limbs, neck, but also on the waist, abdomen, trunk and genitals. Self-perceived itching and scratch marks can be seen on the skin. When ulcers occur, there may be pain. When it occurs on the scalp, destruction of hair follicles may lead to baldness. The lesions may heal with brown pigmentation and may become slightly atrophied pale white patches due to reduced pigmentation.
Finger (toe) nail lesions are thickened or thinned. Flat nail moss is most commonly seen on the bunion, and the nail plate often has longitudinal grooves and deformities. The nail damage is usually asymptomatic, but if there is secondary infection, it may cause pain in the surrounding tissues.
Other systemic symptoms: (1) Neurological symptoms: nervousness, insomnia, forgetfulness, etc. Psychological trauma may trigger or aggravate the disease.
(2) Digestive system symptoms: digestive disorders, or associated with liver, kidney and duodenal ulcers and other diseases.
(3) Hypertension: oral lichen planus is closely related to hypertension.
(4) Diabetes mellitus: the control of blood sugar and urine sugar is related to the change of oral or skin condition.
(5) Other systemic diseases: such as concomitant heart disease, arthritis, urinary system disease, female menstrual disorder, allergy, anemia, etc.
The cause is unknown and is related to mental factors, endocrine factors, immune factors, systemic systemic disease factors, infection factors, etc. Asymptomatic lichen planus does not require treatment.