Oral lichen planus

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic doctors start with a thorough physical exam, as oral lichen planus can often be recognized by its characteristic signs and symptoms. Tissue sampling (biopsy) is often performed. The specialized microscopic tests used routinely at Mayo can spot the typical appearance of tissue affected by oral lichen planus.

After biopsy, Mayo Clinic specialists usually do other tests to find factors that may trigger your oral lichen planus, and to rule out other disorders. The options include:

• Skin patch testing for allergic reactions to substances used in dental materials
• Blood tests to rule out conditions such as hepatitis C, which may rarely be associated with oral lichen planus, and lupus, which may look similar to oral lichen planus
• Cultures to screen for bacteria or yeast infection

Read more about diagnosis of oral lichen planus.