Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of 5% topical amlexanox in comparison with 0.03% tacrolimus and 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide oromucosal paste in treatment of erosive oral lichen planus patients: A prospective, evaluative study

Introduction: Oral lichen planus is one of the most common mucocutaneous disorders affecting the skin and oral mucosa with a definite potential for malignant transformation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 5% topical amlexanox in comparison with 0.03% tacrolimus and 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide oromucosal paste in the treatment of erosive oral lichen planus patients. Materials and Methods: The present prospective, evaluative study included 90 patients who were diagnosed with erosive oral lichen planus. The selected patients were randomly assigned to one of the 3 treatment groups using a simple randomization method and were prescribed three different medications, whereas the drug efficacy and safety evaluations were performed every week for the next 3 weeks, and the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The findings of the present study suggested a significant reduction in Visual Analog Scale scores after 3 weeks of treatment in all 3 groups when compared from baseline to the end of 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd weeks of treatment ( P < 0.001), though, symptom relief was found to be maximum in case of patients who were prescribed 5% topical amlexanox oromucosal paste than as compared to the other two groups wherein the patients were prescribed 0.03% tacrolimus and 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide respectively. Conclusions: The present study observed that 5% topical amlexanox oromucosal paste was well-tolerated, which reportedly led to no distinct adverse effects as reported with tacrolimus and triamcinolone acetonide, making it a potentially useful therapeutic option for the treatment of erosive oral lichen planus patients. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Practice-based learning and improvement, Patient care and procedural skills, Systems-based practice, and Medical knowledge.