Efficacy of Spirulina 500 mg vs Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% for the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus: A Randomized Clinical Trial

AIM

The present study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of spirulina 500 mg in reducing the burning sensation and lesion size in oral lichen planus (OLP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 60 subjects who attended the oral medicine specialty clinic with histopathologically confirmed OLP and having symptoms of burning sensation were recruited for the study. They were randomly divided into two groups: group A (30) subjects were prescribed Spirulina 500 mg twice daily along with only a week application of topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% thrice daily; group B subjects were prescribed topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% alone thrice daily for 8 weeks. Both the groups were followed up posttreatment monthly for three consecutive months.

RESULTS

Data were recorded, and statistical analysis by using ANOVA one-way test, and Chi-square test were performed, which showed statistically significant p-value (<0.005) for the parameters "burning sensation" and "size of the lesion". When compared between groups, group A showed a favorable outcome of the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Spirulina 500 mg supplementation twice daily could be effective adjunct therapy with steroids to treat OLP.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This research allowed us to delve into spirulina as one of the treatment modalities for OLP. Further studies are needed as it is a rich source of proteins and vitamins and demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant actions.

Pharyngeal airway changes after mono- and bimaxillary surgery in skeletal class III patients: Cone-beam computed tomography evaluation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) changes in the pharyngeal airway space (PAS) in 20 class III patients who underwent mono- or bimaxillary surgery using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT examination was obtained before surgery (T1) and at least 3 months after surgery (T2). The pharyngeal airway of each patient was studied at three levels: the level of the posterior nasal spine, the level of the most inferior point of the soft palate, and the level of the top of the epiglottis. At each of these levels, the anteroposterior and lateral dimension as well as cross-sectional area were measured. The volume of the whole PAS and volume between each cross section were also measured. The area and anteroposterior dimensions at the level of the most inferior point of the soft palate significantly decreased in patients who underwent monomaxillary surgery. The volume of the PAS decreased in both groups, but decreased significantly only in the monomaxillary group. The upper volume decreased in the mono- and increased in the bimaxillary group. The lower volume significantly decreased in the monomaxillary group. However, results showed that PAS decreased more after mono-than after bimaxillary surgery.