Oral lichenoid reaction in a young man with poly-consumption of psychoactive substances. Clinical case report

Abstract

Oral lichenoid lesions are part of a group of oral mucosal lesions described as pathological states with premalignant potential, related to local factors and consumption habits, including drug abuse. Considering that the consumption of psychoactive substances is a growing concern among young people and there are reports of increased incidence of oral mucosal lesions and oral cavity tumors in this same age group, the attention and control of substance use has become a public health priority in many countries, due to its social and economic implications. The objective of the study was to characterize clinically and histopathological oral mucosal lesions found as an eventual finding in patients with poly-consumption of psychoactive substances, evidence that is part of a larger epidemiological study in a group characterized as a population of young people at risk of social exclusion in Leon, Nicaragua. Case presentation of a 24-year-old male patient with a history of poly-substance abuse for the last ten years, currently in outpatient rehabilitation. At the intraoral clinical examination, a whitish lesion was found in the full extent of the cheeks bilaterally. The biopsy showed results compatible with oral lichenoid lesion, at 6 months of control there is evidence of favorable evolution with a 30% reduction of lesions. Conclusion: Lesions with premalignant potential require modification and control of consumption habits, as well as observation of the evolution of the lesions every 6 months by multidisciplinary teams.