Assessment of the Efficacy of Narrow Band UVB Treatment and Correlated Factors in Cutaneous Lichen Planus

INTRODUCTION: Lichen planus is an uncommon papulosquamous disease that affects less than 1% of the general population. As the cutaneous disease has a benign course, treatment depends on the location of the lesions; and the severity of the symptoms such as itching and hyperpigmentation. NBUVB has various cutaneous immunosuppressive effects, which makes it a potentially good treatment modality for cutaneous lichen planus that is an immune-driven disease.
METHODS: We present a total of 49 cutaneous lichen planus patients treated with NBUVB three times weekly and have achieved complete remission. The age of the patient, the disease duration and the total number of sessions needed to achieve remission were noted. Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated.
RESULTS: A total of 49 patients were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 46 years with a standard deviation of 13.6; the oldest patient was 71 years old and the youngest patient was 9 years old. The mean disease duration was 43.27 months with a standard deviation of 75.4 months; the shortest disease duration was 1 month and the longest was 300 months. The mean number of NBUVB sessions needed to achieve remission was 27.5 sessions with a standard deviation of 9.6; the minimum number of sessions was 12 and the maximum was 63. No correlation between the number of sessions needed to achieve remission and the patient’s age or disease duration were detected.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Narrow-band UVB treatment is a safe and effective treatment modality in cutaneous lichen planus patients; and the number of sessions needed to achieve remission is independent of the patient’s age and disease duration.