Comparison of clinical indices and therapeutic effect of a mucoadhesive system containing Melissa 1% and triamcinolone 0.1% on lichenoid reactions

Abstract

Background: Lichenoid reaction (LR) is a relatively common mucocutaneous disease with an
unknown etiology. Since the cause of the LRs is unknown, many drugs have been studied to palliate
the symptoms. Previous studies reported that corticosteroids are often effective in the management
of several oral inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of
Melissa gel and triamcinolone 0.1% paste on clinical indices of oral LRs.
Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, sixty patients with erosive oral LRs were
randomly divided into two groups, and each group was treated with Melissa gel or triamcinolone
acetonide 0.1% paste, three times a day, for 4 weeks. The recovery rate and severity of pain and
burning sensation were assessed after 2 and 4 weeks. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed
using SPSS software (version 20, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and repeated measures ANCOVA,
Mann–Whitney test, Chi‑square test, paired t‑test, and survival analysis.(α = 0.05).
Results: The Visual Analog Scale scores for recovery rate, pain, and burning mouth sensation and
objective scoring for oral lichen planus were significantly improved at 2 and 4 weeks in both the
groups. However, the pain intensity decreased significantly in the Melissa group, as compared to
the triamcinolone 1% group.
Conclusion: In general, we showed that Melissa gel has a better effect than triamcinolone on
pain intensity. Although Melissa gel is effective in reducing lesion size, triamcinolone significantly
showed better results.
Key Words: Lichenoid eruptions, Melissa, triamcinolone acetonide