Abstract:

  Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the number of mast cells in OLP and OLR to facilitate diagnosis of these lesions.

  Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was done on 34 paraffin blocks of Oral Lichen Planus(23 women and 11 men with mean age 47/35 ± 13/01) and 26 paraffin blocks of Oral Lichenoid Reaction ( 14 women and 12 men with mean age of 40/46 ± 12/91). Samples were from archives of pathology department of Babol dental school and Shahid Beheshti Hospital. 5 micron slices from blocks were prepared and stained with Toluidine Blue using standard methods. Then they were evaluated with light microscope .Total number of mast cells, number of degranulated mast cells and their ratio were assessed and the data was analysed with T test and Mann-U-Whitney test.

  Results: The total number of mast cells and number of degranulated mast cells in OLP group were significantly higher than OLR group(p<0/05), but the ratio of degranulated mast cells to total number of mast cells had no significant difference (p>0/05).

  Conclusion: The results show a higher total number of mast cells and degranulated mast cells in OLP compared with OLR. These results may serve to be a diagnostic criteriia in differentiation of OLP from OLR and various treatment plans.