A middle aged male with oral lichen planus with strong steroidal suppression and a family history of oral cancer.

This is the case of Mr. V.P (Patient Ref. No. S-4592) a 45 years old male patient who had been diagnosed as having oral lichen planus. The patient had complaints of oral lesions for 2 years. There would be much soreness in the mouth and burning sensation of eating. A biopsy had confirmed the lesions to be of lichen planus. He had received injectable steroids twice in the past for the oral lichen planus and he was on the local application of steroids for the same. The condition would be in remission for 3-4 months after the use of steroids but it would relapse again after this span of time. This problem had been continuing like this for the last 2 years and thus he had not benefited from the treatment in any way.

He also had complaints of recurrent colds for the past few years. The colds would be triggered by cold food and drinks and he would have thick nasal discharge and a dry cough that would last for a long time.

His appetite was average and he was particularly fond of sweets and fruits. He had a dislike for spicy foods. He would sweat profusely especially on the scalp and chest.
The patient was a well-educated gentleman who had a cheerful nature. He was not very easy at expressing his emotions and would often bottle them up inside him. Whether it was anger or grief about anything, he would not display his emotions. There was a lot of stress in his life on the work front and bottled up anxiety about the same. He would get angry rarely but whenever it would come up, the anger would be intense. He would be very sad on account of this problem and would often weep due to this grief. He would feel much better by listening to music and dancing. He would prefer to remain alone most of the time. He was very particular about his work and very fastidious by nature. He was fond of reading and would pursue this whenever he would be free.

In the past, he had suffered from jaundice, chickenpox, and mumps. He had sustained a few fractures in the past after an accident. His mother had suffered from cancer of the tongue and there was also a strong history of hypertension, diabetes and bronchial asthma in the family.

Based on the above history he was prescribed homeopathic medicines for his complaints. In the initial 2-3 months of treatment, there was some worsening of the spots of oral lichen planus. This was an expected thing especially because his oral lichen planus had been suppressed with injectable and local steroids in the past. It's a common observation that cases treated with steroids do relapse and the relapse is more difficult to treat. After 2-3 months of treatment, the worsening of the spots stopped but there was no further improvement in the disease for some more time. Thus it can be seen that the time required for treatment also increased in this case due to the strong history of suppression with steroids.

Another vital aspect of this case is the history of cancer involving the oral cavity (tongue) in the family. Although oral lichen planus is not a malignant condition, the presence of the family history of cancer has a strong bearing on the homeopathic prescription for this particular condition. A drug called Carcinosin (click here for further details) was used in the treatment of oral lichen planus in this patient. Gradually the lesions started improving and he did very well with continued treatment. He did get a few active lesions even during the treatment but they subsided with the medicines. He was practically free from the soreness and burning which he used to experience in the past and he's now leading a normal life.