Lichen planus and chronic active hepatitis. A retrospective survey.

In a retrospective survey 95 in-patients with non erosive lichen planus (LP) were summoned to be investigated by means of routine liver tests. 44 patients responded. Remarkable abnormalities of liver tests were found in 6 patients who were further studied for antibodies to smooth muscle and mitochondria and submitted to liver biopsy. Histological diagnosis revealed chronic active hepatitis (CAH) in 5 cases (11.3%). Such an impressive prevalence and the histologic and immunologic similarities between the two diseases support the view that the association LP-CAH is not fortuitous and that both diseases may have the same autoimmune pathogenesis. Accordingly LP may be regarded as a major risk factor for liver cirrhosis.