Lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection

Background The association of lichen planus (LP) with liver diseases is well established. The reported prevalence rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in patients with LP tend to appear quite variable. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HCV antibodies in a group of patients with LP and evaluate the clinical characteristics of the subgroup with LP associated with HCV Methods We studied 101 patients, 57 (56.4%) women and 44 (43.5%) men with a mean age of 48 years, consecutively diagnosed with cutaneous and/or mucosal LP between January 1992 and December 2000. We used 99 age- and sex-matched controls. Results Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in nine cases (8.9%) of the LP group but only two (2.02%) of the controls. The odds ratio between the subjects with HCV positivity and those with negative HCV virus was 4.74, with a confidence interval at 95%, between 0.999 and 22.545. A statistically significant association was only demonstrated between erosive LP and infection by HCV Conclusions The possibility of liver disease caused by HCV should be ruled out in patients with LP, especially in the erosive form.