Photobiomodulation Therapy/Photodynamic Therapy Versus Steroid Therapy for Oral Lichen Planus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Comparison of photodynamic therapy and corticosteroid therapy in management of oral lichen planus: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

INTRODUCTION

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as an effective therapy for various dermatology conditions, including oral lichen planus (OLP). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PDT in managing OLP and to compare its effectiveness with corticosteroid therapy (CST).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive electronic search was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, X-mole, and Dimensions. The inclusion criteria encompassed randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that included patients with OLP undergoing treatment with PDT and CST, with no limitations on sample size or patient age.

RESULTS

Out of 197 studies identified, only 8 met the inclusion criteria, involving 210 patients (104 in Group I: PDT, 106 in Group II: CST), with a female to male ratio of 3.75. Three studies reported OLP lesion numbers, six studies described lesion types, and five studies provided lesion location information. The efficacy of both PDT and CST was assessed using lesion size, pain, Thongprasom sign (ThS) scoring, efficacy index (EI), and clinical severity index (CSI). The limited and inconsistent reporting of data hindered to conduct a meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

PDT effectively treats OLP lesions, leading to significant symptom reduction and improved functionality. However, limited relevant RCTs and heterogeneous data reporting hinder definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of PDT compared to CTS.

Emerging potential of phototherapy in management of symptomatic oral lichen planus: A systematic review of randomised controlled clinical trials

Phototherapy incorporating photobiomodulation therapy and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy has been utilised as antioxidants in symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP) management; however, its role of intervention remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review of CRD42021227788 PROSPERO (an international prospective register of systematic reviews in health and social care) registration number was to oversee and determine phototherapy efficacy in patients with symptomatic OLP, identifying and bridging the literature gaps by proposing recommendations for future studies. A search strategy was developed in consistent with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Various electronic databases were exercised to search for randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs). Several search engines were employed to analyse a total of 177 studies of which nine included. A wide range of utilised laser and light-emitted diode wavelengths between 630 and 808 nm and irradiance ranged between 10 and 13 mW/cm² were noted. 67% of studies reported a high risk of bias and a high heterogeneity obtained from numerical data for quantitative analysis, therefore meta-analysis was impossible to conduct. Despite inconsistency and diversity in phototherapy parameters, treatment protocols, photosensitiser (type, concentration and method of application) and outcome assessment tools, the majority of the studies showed positive results compared with standard care treatments. Hence, a necessity to perform well-designed RCTs with robust methodology is warranted, after acknowledging the current drawbacks and addressing the suggested recommendations highlighted in our review. Moreover, advanced knowledge in understanding further phototherapy-antioxidants molecular mechanistic in symptomatic OLP is required.

Revisiting the evidence of photodynamic therapy for oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma: an overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

This study summarized the available evidence about the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the management of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODS

An overview of systematic reviews was undertaken based on the 2020 PRISMA statement. Electronic searches were performed in five databases. Studies published up to November 2022 were included. Risk of bias was assessed with the AMSTAR 2 tool.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies enrolling 9,245 individuals with OPMD (n=7,487) or OSCC (n=1,758) met the selection criteria. All studies examined the efficacy and/or safety of PDT. OPMD were investigated individually in 82.8% of the studies, the most common being oral lichen planus and actinic cheilitis. OSCC was addressed separately in 10.3% of the studies, while only 6.9% evaluated both OPMD and OSCC. Fourteen different types of photosensitizers were described. PDT was used according to the following setting parameters: 417-670 nm, 10-500 mW/cm², 1.5-200 J/cm², and 0.5-143 minutes. Regarding OPMD, leukoerythroplakia showed the best response rates, while oral lichen planus presented a partial or no response in nearly 75% of documented cases. A complete response was observed in 85.9% of OSCC cases, while 14.1% had no resolution.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the response to PDT depended on the type of OPMD/OSCC and the parameters used. Although PDT is an emerging candidate for the treatment of OPMD and OSCC, there is heterogeneity of the methodologies used and the clinical data obtained, particularly regarding the follow-up period.

Efficacy of Topical Treatments for the Management of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus: A Systematic Review

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucosal inflammatory disease associated with T-cell-mediated immunological dysfunction. Symptomatic OLP is a painful condition, and complete healing is often not achieved. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of topical drugs, medications, and other interventions compared to placebo or to other treatments in pain reduction and clinical resolution in adult patients with symptomatic OLP. A detailed electronic literature search was performed through the MEDLINE (PubMed) database between 1 January 2005 and 30 September 2022. Eligible studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria, and a quality assessment was conducted. From 649 titles, 121 articles were selected as abstracts, 75 papers were assessed as full text, along with 15 other papers obtained through a manual search. A total of 15 RCTs were finally included in the review process. Because of the significant heterogeneity in the study design of the included studies, no meta-analysis of the data could be performed. Topical corticosteroids represent the first-line treatment in the management of symptomatic OLP due to their efficacy and minimal adverse effects. Calcineurin inhibitors seem to be equally effective and are indicated in recalcitrant cases, extensive lesions, patients susceptible to oral candidiasis, or cases unresponsive to corticosteroids. Other treatments, such as aloe vera, chamomile, isotretinoin, ozone, and laser therapy, could be beneficial as adjunct therapies in association with first-line treatments.

Photobiomodulation Therapy vs. Corticosteroid for the Management of Erosive/Ulcerative and Painful Oral Lichen Planus. Assessment of Success Rate during One-Year Follow-Up: A Retrospective Study

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is a promising approach for the management of inflammatory conditions and autoimmune lesions, such as oral lichen planus (OLP). The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effectiveness of PBM in the management of painful and erosive/ulcerative OLP and to compare it with the standard of care that is the topical application of corticosteroids. 96 patients were included with erosive and painful OLP. 48 patients received PBM therapy and 48 received corticosteroids. Data was collected retrospectively on pain using the visual analogue scale; clinical aspects of lesions were assessed with the REU score, and the recurrence rate was noted. One session of PBM therapy with a helium-neon red light (635 nm) was carried out every 48 h for 6 weeks. Treatments were mainly made in contact mode, using a fiber with a diameter of 600 µm (0.6 mm). The output power of the laser beam was calibrated by a power meter. A delivered power of 0.1 W was used for 40 s in a continuous wave (CW), corresponding to a delivered energy of 4 J. The delivered energy density related to the fiber diameter was 1415 J/cm². Each treated point was considered as 1 cm² of diameter. PBM therapy within these parameters was carried out on each point until the totality of the lesion was covered, including the non-erosive OLP area. Furthermore, healthy mucosa within 5 mm of the lesion was also irradiated with the same conditions. This PBM treatment was performed during 6 consecutive weeks. The topical corticosteroid treatment consisted of cortisone application to cover the OLP 3 times/day for 6 weeks. Follow-up was made at 6 weeks and at 3, 6 and 12 months. After 6 weeks, both groups showed complete absence of pain, and a complete disappearance of ulcerative/erosive areas. No significant difference was found for both groups concerning the recurrence rate of erosive OLP during the follow-up period; values were 0% at 6 weeks for both groups and 79% and 87.5% for the corticosteroid and PBM group, respectively, at 12 months of follow-up. PBM is effective for managing OLP and is significantly similar to topical corticosteroids without any need for the use of medication and with no reported side effects.