Lichen Planus Causes of Lichen Planus

Lichen Planus is found to be an immunologically  mediated diseases. The exact cause of Lichen Planus is not very clearly understood. Some triggers have been found which are clinically found to be responsible for Lichen Planus. It is one of those conditions where the exact cause remains unknown till the date. There are theories. In some cases there are obvious links with the facts such as

1. Certain modern medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain killers (NSAID), antihypertensive medicines, amalgamated dental filling, etc are known to induce Lichen Planus, which has a tendency to persist despite the discontinuation of the said medicines.
 

It may be of interest to list the common modern medicines which are know to induce Lichen Planus:

• NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

• Tetracycline

• Captopril

• Propranolol

• Sulfonamide

• Dapsone

• Furosemide

• Chloroquine

• Penicillamine

• Methyldopa

• Enalapril

• Allopurinol (anti-gout medicine)

2. Contact with certain chemicals (paraphenylenediamine), drugs (Arsenic compounds, certain metals such as Gold, Bismuth, Quinacrine), exposure to light by photography development) etc.

Stress
In our in-depth studies, we have observed that certain intense and prolonged emotional stress such as anxiety, shock, traumatic childhood, sadness; disappointment, failure, humiliation, etc. often initiate the process of Lichen Planus. Stress has been found to be an important trigger in many cases, but not all.

It may be noted that this information is derived from the study at our center and may not be found in the standard dermatological text books.

Genetic
Hereditary tendency. We have observed Lichen Planus running in family. However, it is not a rule that if you have Lichen Planus, your children will necessarily have it.

Allergic component
The studies have indicated presence of certain cells, called as HLA A-3 cell markers, suggesting immunological and allergic links.

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