Kathy M
I read in The Mortar & Pestle, a dental newsletter of Carroll Clinic Pharmacy and Carroll Apothecary in Carroll, Iowa, Aug, 2000: "...British Journal of Dermatology, 1999 Feb; 140(2):338-42, reported on 6 patients with severe recalcitrant erosive mucosal lichen planus who benefited from topical application of tacrolimus ointment. Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug used to prevent rejection of organ transplants. Three patients had lesions of the oral cavity only, two suffered exclusively from EMLP of the vulva and vagina, and in one patient, both oral and genital areas were affected. After 4 weeks of treatment with tacrolimus 0.1% in a hydrophyllic ointment base, applied twice daily to the lesions, complete resolution was observed in 3 cases, and substantial improvement was achieved in the other 3 patients. In these cases, prolonged treatment resulted either in further improvement or in complete healing. All patients reported rapid refief from pain and burning. No severe side-effects were observed, and no systemic blood levels of tacrolimus could be measured at any time during treatment."