About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThe cause of lichen planus is unknown. The lesions that appear are the result of inflammation controlled by specific white blood cells called T lymphocytes. Normally, these cells are active at the site of disease or injury. Doctors and researchers don't know what prompts T lymphocytes to be activated in lichen planus. However, certain diseases, medical conditions or other factors may act as triggers of the inflammatory disorder in some people.
Factors that may act as triggers of lichen planus include:
- Hepatitis C infection
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Certain types of flu vaccines
- Allergy causing agents (allergens)
- Tattoo pigments
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others)
- Certain medications for heart disease, high blood pressure or arthritis
- Lichen planus. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch116/ch116g.html. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- Lichen planus. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_lichen.html. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- Lehman JS, et al. Lichen planus. International Journal of Dermatology. 2009;48:682.
- Holzberg M. Common nail disorders. Dermatologic Clinics. 2006;24:349.
- Goldstein AT, et al. Vulvar lichen planus. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;48:818.
- Psoriasis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Psoriasis/default.asp. Accessed April 18, 2010.
- Glucocorticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/gi-osteoporosis.asp. Accessed April 15, 2010.
- Choonhakarn C, et al. The efficacy of aloe vera gel in the treatment of oral lichen planus: A randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology 2008;158:573.
- Rajar UD, et al. Efficacy of aloe vera gel in the treatment of vulval lichen planus. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons - Pakistan. 2008;18:612.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 31, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on