BUCAL CLINICO 18% 20% BIOPSIA 38% 46% CLINICO + BIOPSIA 32% 20% CLINICO + EVENTUALMENTE BIOPSIA 12% 10% TABELA 2- Opiniao dosdermatologistas sobre o potencial de malignizacao e a conduta clinica relativaa proservacao apos realizacao do tratamento dos casos de liquen plano cutaneoe/ou bucal LIQUEN PLANO SIM NAO AS VEZES CONDICAO CANCERIZAVEL 24% 46% 30% PROSERVACAO APOS TRATAMENTO 48% 40% 12% ABSTRACT Lichen planus is animportant disease for physicians and dentists since it affects mucous membranesand skin. Its etiology isnt yet completely understood and its diagnosisinvolves many controversies. The aim of this paper was to assess thedermatologists practices in regard oral and/or cutaneous lichen planus. Fiftydermatologists from Bauru and it neighboring cities were asked about theetiology, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of lichen planus, as well as itsdifferential diagnosis with lichenoid lesions and its possibility of malignanttransformation. Many practitioners answered that lichen planus is idiopathic inorigin (22.4%) or has a psychosomatic cause (21.5%) and its diagnosis isconfirmed by histopathological analysis of oral and cutaneous lesions. Thedifferential diagnosis between lichen planus and lichenoid lesions on skin ismainly based on clinical history by 34.9% of the practitioners interviewed,although, in the oral mucosa, 46.3% choose biopsy as a means of diagnosis.Forty six percent of the dermatologists do not consider lichen planus as aprecancerous lesion and 40% do not perform follow-up of patients after completeremission of the symptoms. From these results we conclude that the clinicalpractice toward patients with lichen planus is widely variable amongdermatologists considering oral lesions and its malignant potential, whatreinforces the necessity of a better integration between physicians anddentists, what would be of great benefit for the patients. Uniterms: Lichenplanus; Lichenoid reaction; Premalignant lesion. AGRADECIMENTO Os autoresagradecem ao CNPq pela concessao da bolsa de iniciacao cientifica que muitocontribuiu para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa. REFERENCIAS BIBLIOGRAFICAS 01. ALLEN, C.M. Is lichen planus reallypremalignant? Oral Surg., v.85, n.4, p.347, Apr. 1998. /Editorial/ 02. BARNARD, N,A. et al. Oral cancerdevelopment in patients with oral liquen planus. J. oral Path. Med., v.22, n.9,p.421- 4, Out. 1993. Rev. FOB V.8, n. 3/4, p.23-28, jul./dez. 2000 03. CALLESTINI, R. Analise comparativahistoquimica e imunohistoquimica do liquen plano e da reacao liquenoide namucosa bucal. Bauru, 2000. Tese (Doutorado) Faculdade de Odontologia deBauru, Universidade de Sao Paulo. 04. DUFFLEY, D.C.; EVERSOLE, L.R.;ABEMAYOR, E. Oral lichen planus and its association with squamous cellcarcinoma: an update on pathogenesis and treatment implications. Laryngoscope(St. Louis), v.106, p.357-62, Mar.1996. 05. EISENBERG, E.; KRUTCHKOFF, D.J.Lichenoid lesions of oral mucosa. Diagnostic criteria and their importance inthe alleged relationship to oral cancer. Oral Surg., v.73, n.6, p.699-704, June1992. 06. GORSKY, M. et al. Clinicalcharacteristics and treatment of patients with oral lichen planus in Israel.Oral Surg., v.82, n.6, p.644-9, Dec. 1996. 07. KILPI, A. et al. Studies of theinflammatory process and potential of oral mucosal lichen planus. Aust. dent.J., v.41, n.2, p.87-90, Apr. 1996. 08. KRUTCHKOFF, D.J.; EISENBERG, E.Lichenoid dysplasia: a distinct histopathologic entity. Oral Surg., v.30, n.3,p.308-15, Sept. 1985. 09. LO MUZIO, L. et al. The possibleassociation between oral lichen planus and squamous cell carcinoma: a clinicalevaluation on 14 cases and a review of the literature. Oral Oncol., v.34, n.4,p. 239-45,