A Self-controlled Single Blinded Clinical Trial to Evaluate Oral Lichen Planus after Topical Treatment with Aloe Vera

Abstract

AIM: The object of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a selfcontrolled single blinded clinical trial of the topical application of Aloe vera in oral lichen planus (OLP). METHODS: Twenty patients (15 male and 5 female) aged at least 18 years recruited from the outpatients. In all cases the diagnosis net currently accepted criteria. Each patient was instructed to manually apply Aloe vera (AV) high molecular weight fractions (AHM) on the affected side oral mucosa three times daily and examined at the beginning of treatment and then after 4 and 8 weeks of therapy. AHM were obtained from water-washed gel part of AV and processed by the patented hyper-dry system in combination of freeze-dry technique with micro wave and far infrared ray irradiations. The macromolecular aloe ointment is a mixture of the hydrophilic ointment and AHM at 0.1% by weight. RESULTS: A self-controlled single blind protocol to assessment clinical improvement and pain response was used in this study. The clinical results showed a rapid subjective and objective improvement with topical AHM treatment. Fifteen patients (75%) had complete remission at treated side and two patients (10%) had partial remission, while one patient showed no response to treatment (5%), and placebo sides showed partial remission responded in two cases only (10%) and no responded in other sides. CONCLUSION: The effect of AHM ointment on OLP was significantly effective than that of placebo. The results showed decrease both in clinical signs and in pain scores. AHM ointment showed well tolerated, safe and effective treatment to OLP.