Intralesional Corticosteroid Injections in the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus—A Narrative Review

TL;DR

This review examines how corticosteroid injections help treat oral lichen planus, a chronic mouth condition, by reducing pain and healing lesions safely.

Contribution

The review evaluates the effectiveness and safety of intralesional corticosteroid injections for treating oral lichen planus.

Findings

Triamcinolone acetonide injections at 10–40 mg/mL reduced pain and healed OLP lesions.

Injections showed minor adverse effects and were considered safe and effective.

The treatment is recommended for patients with symptomatic OLP.

Abstract

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. Certain clinical forms of the disease may cause significant discomfort and negatively impact patients’ quality of life. The first-line treatment is topical corticosteroids. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the influence of corticosteroid injections in the treatment of OLP. Methods: A search of the literature was conducted in October 2025 using the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane. Results: Fifteen studies were evaluated. Injections with triamcinolone acetonide at a concentration of 10–40 mg/mL at weekly intervals demonstrated efficacy in reducing pain and healing OLP lesions in these studies. They showed minor adverse effects. Conclusions: Noting the limitations of this narrative review, intralesional corticosteroid injections are an effective and safe method of treating OLP. They should be considered in patients with symptomatic OLP.

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