A comparative treatment study of topical tacrolimus and clobetasol in oral lichen planus

Background Existing clinical trials have shown that topical corticosteroids are often effective in the management of oral lichen planus (OLP). However, tacrolimus has recently been shown to be an effective treatment of OLP. Objective To compare the effectiveness of clobetasol and tacrolimus in the topical management of OLP. Study design In this randomized comparative double-blind study, 30 consecutive patients with oral lesions consistent clinically and histologically with OLP were recruited.The patients were divided into 2 groups to receive clobetasol 0.05% or tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and were treated for 6 weeks. Results The profiles of mean lesion sizes and mean pain measures did not differ between the tacrolimus and clobetasol treatment groups. Conclusion We found tacrolimus to be as useful as clobetasol in treatment of OLP. We believe that up-to-date evidence indicates the effectiveness of tacrolimus in treating OLP.