Oral lichenoid reaction to tobacco

Prashanth Panta, Uday Shankar Yaga

PAMJ. 2016; 24:330. Published 30 Aug 2016 | doi:10.11604/pamj.2016.24.330.9378

A 55 year old male patient came for routine dental examination. History revealed that he was a heavy tobacco chewer for the past 20 years. During examination, several radiating white lines were found on top of a slightly grey background, in relation to the right buccal mucosa. The location of the lesion clearly coincided with the site of placement of quid. A differential diagnosis of lichen planus, oral lichenoid reaction and discoid lupus erythematosis were considered. On microscopic examination, there was focal perivascular infiltrate and plasma cells in the connective tissue. After correlating clinically, a diagnosis of "lichenoid reaction" was confirmed. Oral lichenoid reactions (OLR) can occur as a result of contact of an irritant such as tobacco. OLR to tobacco and betel nut products presents as a unilateral, wavy, nonelevated, non scrapable white lesion. These lines are arranged in tree like configurations or in the form of a lacy network- Wickham's striae. Wickham's striae most often are a diagnostic sign of lichen planus and lichenoid reaction.
Corresponding author
Prashanth Panta, Department of oral Medicine and Radiology, MNR Dental College and Hospital, Narsapur Road, Sangareddy, Telangana, India (maithreya.prashanth@gmail.com)


The Pan African Medical Journal (ISSN: 1937-8688) is a subsidiary of the Pan African Medical Journal. The contents of this journal is intended exclusively for professionals in the medical, paramedical and public health and other health sectors.

Currently tracked by: DOAJ, AIM, Google Scholar, AJOL, EBSCO, Scopus, Embase, IC, HINARI, Global Health, PubMed Central, PubMed/Medline, ESCI

Physical address: Kenya: 3rd Floor, Park Suite Building, Parkland Road, Nairobi. PoBox 38583-00100, tel: +254 (0)20-520-4356 | Cameroon: Immeuble TechnoPark Essos, Yaounde, PoBox: 10020 Yaounde, tel: +237 (0)24-309-5880