Oral Lichen Planus and Epstein-Barr virus: a narrative review

Oral Lichen planus (LP) is an immune-mediated disease of unknown etiology that affects the oral mucous membranes. Six clinical forms of OLP lesions can be detected individually or associated: papular, reticular, plaque-like, atrophic, erosive, and bullous. The antigen that triggers the inflammatory immune reaction in OLP lesions is yet unclear. The correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections and Oral Lichen Planus has been reported in the literature. The present work summarized the evidence to establish if EBV can play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease.