Q: Recently, my skin became irritated and started blistering. I was diagnosed with lichen planus, which I'm told is pretty common. What is it? How can people deal with the irritation and itchiness it ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain and suffering from oral lichen planus? — Anon. ANSWER: Nobody knows what causes lichen planus, an uncommon (less than 1% of people) skin ...

Planus means flat. Lichen means a flat plant that grows on a rock and is a combination of a fungus or mold and an alga (AL-jah), which is a kind of seaweed or pond scum. Curiously, the word lichen ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Several years ago, I was diagnosed with lichen planus in my mouth. A dentist gave me a prescription for fluocinonide. I applied this to the lesions in my mouth but got no relief. I ...

Dear Dr. Roach: Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain and suffering from oral lichen planus? — Anon. Answer: Nobody knows what causes lichen planus, an uncommon (less than 1% of people) skin ...

The "Clinical Snapshot" series provides a concise examination of a clinical presentation including history, treatment, patient education, and nursing measures. Using the format here, you are invited ...

Lichen planus is a chronic skin and mucosal disease that mostly affects middle-aged patients but can occur at any age. The exact cause is unknown, but the condition might be considered an altered ...

Dear Dr. Gott: While in Vietnam, I was taking a dapsone pill daily, as the Army suggested. Unknown to me, I had an allergy to the pill and became methemoglobinemic. I still have lichen planus on my ...

Dear Anon.: Nobody knows what causes lichen planus, an uncommon (less than 1% of people) skin condition that may also affect the mouth or vagina. It most often occurs during the ages of 30 to 60. It ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Several years ago, I was diagnosed with lichen planus in my mouth. A dentist gave me a prescription for fluocinonide. I applied this to the lesions in my mouth but got no relief. I ...