Case report: Rare case of laryngeal hypertrophic lichen planus

Introduction and importance: Lichen planus is an inflammatory and chronic disease with multifactorial causes. Hypertrophic subtype of lichen planus is an extremely rare lesion when found in the larynx. This article describes the case of a man with such a lesion.

Case presentation: A 54-year-old man presented after respiratory distress with a suspicious mass on the left hemilarynx. The patient consumed a lot of tobacco and alcohol. He underwent nasofibroscopy, CT scan and numerous direct laryngoscopies with biopsy. Histopathological analysis finally revealed a mucosal hypertrophic lichen planus. Nowadays, the patient has undergone a partial laryngectomy.

Clinical discussion: Lichen planus is a chronic immune disease with multifactorial causes like stress or genetic susceptibility, for example. Presentations may vary, and histological features include hyperkeratosis and lymphocytic infiltration, which could be the primary cause of tissue damage. Hypertrophic lichen planus is an extremely rare laryngeal lesion, and there are few examples of how it is treated. As in topical treatments for other types of lichen planus, corticosteroids may be helpful. In addition, the potential carcinogenic transformation of this type of lesion is not well known, and follow-up care is therefore required.

Conclusion: A patient presented with a hypertrophic lichen planus lesion in the larynx, which is an extremely rare location. Thus far, he has undergone surgery to treat it.