Abstract

Background: Lichen planus is an idiopathic, inflammatory, and immune-mediated disease that affects the skin, nails, hair, and mucous membranes. It predominantly occurs in middle-aged individuals and typically follows a chronic course characterized by relapses and periods of remission. Objective: To investigate the common clinical variants of lichen planus and their occupational associations in River Nile State, Sudan. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective, hospital-based study was conducted in Atbara Hospital, Aldamer Hospital, and Barbar Hospital between December 2021 and May 2022. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 65 patients who met the inclusion criteria, after obtaining informed consent. Results: Of the 65 patients, 38 (58.5%) were females and 27 (41.5%) were males. Regarding age distribution, 32 (49.2%) patients were between 19 and 40 years, 17 (26.2%) between 40 and 60 years, 14 (21.5%) were below 19 years, and 2 (3.1%) were above 60 years. The clinical variants of lichen planus observed in this study included hypertrophic 10 (15.4%), actinic 9 (13.8%), classical 9 (13.8%), pigmented 8 (12.3%), guttate 7 (10.8%), generalized 5 (7.7%), linear 4 (6.2%), annular 4 (6.2%), ulcerated 3 (4.6%), atrophic 2 (3.1%), twenty-nail dystrophy 2 (3.1%), follicular 1 (1.5%), and erythematous 1 (1.5%). Occupational associations revealed that indoor occupations were represented by housewives 22 (33.8%), students 13 (20%), office workers 6 (9.2%), and laboratory workers 2 (3.1%). Outdoor occupations included farmers 8 (12.3%), gold miners 8 (12.3%), cement workers 4 (6.2%), and freelance workers 2 (3.1%). Conclusion: Lichen planus was found to be more common among middle-aged females. The most frequent clinical variant was the hypertrophic type. Furthermore, the disease was associated with both indoor occupations—mainly housewives and students—and outdoor occupations such as farming and gold mining.

Keywords

lichen planus, clinical variants, occupational association, River Nile state, Sudan