Lichen planus and liver disease

Abstract

One hundred and twenty consecutive, fresh patients with lichen planus were studied for liver function abnormalities. Patients with obvious immunological disorders and other diseases associated with liver dysfunction and those with factors liable to cause liver injury or produce lichenoid drug eruptions were excluded. Seventy-five patients with benign dematological disorders acting as controls were similarly studied. Levels of serum bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT were not significantly (more than twice) elevated in either the patients or controls. Only one patient had elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase. Altered levels of serum proteins were observed in 80 (66.0%) patients and 48 (64.0%) controls, the difference being statistically insignificant. HBs Ag detection was done in 75 out of 120 patients with lichen planus, of whom 7 (9.3%) tested positive. All the 11 (9.2%) patients with hepatomegaly were negative for HBs Ag. In these patients with hepatomegaly all liver function parameters were within normal range except total serum proteins which were elevated in 4 with reversal of A/G ratio in only 2. Our study did not show any increased incidence of clinical or biochemical evidence of liver disease in patients with lichen planus.