Analysis of the psychopathological profile, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness of oral lichen planus patients treated with photobiomodulation

Objectives To evaluate the effect of PBM on the psychological profile and quality of life of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) in comparison to corticoid and to investigate the cost-effectiveness of both treatments. Materials and methods Patients were randomized into two groups: Control (clobetasol propionate 0.05%) and Photobiomodulation (660 nm, 100mW, 177 J/cm 2 , 5 s, 0.5 J) twice a week for 30 days. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and OHIP-14 were used in different treatment time points and at follow-up. The cost-effectiveness was calculated using the improvement in OHIP-14 after treatment. Results OLP patients showed detected levels of anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life at baseline. No improvement in anxiety and depression was noticed after treatments. However, PBM and corticoid significantly improved the quality of life of OLP patients, considering the OHIP-14-T and the physical pain domain. The treatment with corticoid was more cost-effective than PBM. Conclusions Psychological distress was not improved after both treatments and PBM is as effective as corticoids in promoting a better quality of life in OLP patients, despite its higher cost. Clinical relevance This study highlights the need for additional therapeutic interventions in OLP patients, to early recognize and to manage the alterations in their psychological profile. Moreover, PBM is an effective therapy in OLP patient’s quality of live and although it was a more expensive, the advantage of being a minimally invasive therapy associated with no side effects must be considered in clinical practice, especially in those patients with refractory disease. Trial registration This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; the registration number is NCT03320460, registered in 17/10/2017.