Clinical efficacy of 0.5% clobetasol propionate and 0.1%triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of oral lichen planus

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and short-term safety profile of clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment and triamcin-olone acetonide 0.1% orabase adhesive in moderate to severe oral lichen planus (OLP) in terms of pain, burning sensa-tion, and lesion extension.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental study conducted on 42 adult patients with moderate to severe OLP. All subjects were equally divided into two groups for receiving either clobetasol or triamcinolone for four times in a day for four weeks. The clinical severity was assessed by an ordinal four-point scale (no disease= 0; severe disease= 3) at the start, week four, and two weeks after treatment completion (week six). Differences between groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, while differences within groups were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test.
Results: Significant higher rates of complete remission of triamcinolone were found in all domains at week four (pain = 66.7% vs 4.8%; burning = 95.2% vs 0%, mucosal extension = 57.1% vs 0%, all p < 0.001). At week six, remissions of burning sensation and lesion extension were found in the triamcinolone group, but in clobetasol group all domains showed significant rebound of disease symptoms (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: Triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% orabase was significantly more efficacious than clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment in moderate to severe OLP cases.
Keywords: Oral Lichen Planus; Clobetasol Propionate; Triamcinolone Acetonide; Topical Corticosteroids; Orabase; Oral Mucosal Disease.