View clinical trials related to Lichen Planus.
Filter by:This study will compare two treatments for oral lichen planus - hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) tablets and clobetasol oral rinse. Oral lichen planus is a chronic disorder in which patients have painful mouth ulcers that interfere with meals and daily functioning. It is most commonly treated with topical or systemic corticosteroids, but these drugs have a number of side effects, most commonly yeast infection, and chronic systemic use of them can lead to diabetes, osteoporosis, weight gain, and other complications. Also, lichen planus generally returns when the corticosteroids are stopped. Clobetasol oral rinse is a topical steroid commonly used to treat oral lichen planus. Hydroxychloroquine, a drug that was originally used to treat malaria and is now also approved for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, has been tried for lichen planus in small-scale studies with some evidence of benefit. Patients 18 years of age and older with oral lichen planus may be eligible for this study. Pregnant women are excluded. Candidates are screened with a dermatology examination, routine blood tests, an eye examination, and a biopsy to rule out other conditions similar to lichen planus and to provide tissue for research purposes. For the biopsy, two small circles of tissue about 4 mm (less than 1/5") across are surgically removed from the area with lichen planus. Participants are randomly assigned to treatment with either hydroxychloroquine or clobetasol rinse. Patients assigned to hydroxychloroquine also take a placebo mouth rinse that looks and tastes like the clobetasol rinse, and those assigned to clobetasol also take a pill that looks and tastes like the hydroxychloroquine tablet. This is done so that neither the patients nor the study doctors know which patient is taking which active medication until the study is completed. Patients take the pills daily in the morning with food or a glass of milk for the 6-month study period and use the rinse twice a day for 4 months and then once a day for 2 months. They may not use any pain or anti-inflammatory medicines or topical creams, gels or rinses regularly, because these medications can obscure the effects of the study drugs and complicate interpretation of the results. They are given a topical numbing medicine as part of the study and can use Tylenol for pain during the study duration. In addition to treatment, participants visit the NIH Clinical Center once a month for the following tests and procedures: - Review of pain levels, as recorded in a pain diary - Review of drug side effects, if any - Collection of saliva and blood samples at 2, 4 and 6 months - Repeat oral biopsy at completion of the study at 6 months to evaluate treatment effects - Final examination at 8 months to determine if the disease returns or improves after the medication is stopped.
This study offers evaluation and treatment of patients with diseases of the mouth or systemic diseases that involve the mouth. The protocol is not designed to test new treatments; rather, patients will receive current standard of care treatments. The purposes of the study are: 1) to allow NIDCR's Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch staff to gain more knowledge about oral soft tissue diseases and possibly identify new avenues of research in this area; and 2) to establish a pool of patients who may be eligible for new studies as they are developed. (Participants in this protocol will not be required to join a new study; the decision will be voluntary.) Patients of any age with oral diseases or systemic diseases involving the mouth may be eligible for this study. Women of childbearing potential and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding will only have tests and procedures and receive medications that pose no greater than a minimal risk to the fetus. Participants will have a comprehensive dental and medical examination, including a physical examination of the head and neck. Additional tests and procedures that may be required for diagnosis and to guide treatment include the following: - Blood and urine tests - for routine laboratory studies, assessment of kidney and liver function, and detection of viruses, fungi, bacteria or parasites - Electrocardiogram - to record the electrical activity of the heart - Biopsies - to examine tissue under the microscope. The method and number of biopsies depends on the individual's specific condition and the tissue to be removed. For all biopsies a local anesthetic (lidocaine with or without epinephrine) is injected at the biopsy site. A punch biopsy uses a small sharp cookie-cutter instrument to remove a small (about 1/10- to 1/5-inch) piece of skin. An excisional biopsy uses a small surgical knife or scalpel to remove a piece of tissue, usually requiring some stitches to close the wound. - Diagnostic imaging - X-rays, photographs, or other tests as needed for diagnosis Treatments include tablets, injections and topically applied medications. All preparations are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are commercially available. Patient follow-up may vary from one visit to intermittent visits over a number of years, depending on the patient's condition.