Introduction:
Lichen Planus is a skin disease that can also affect the mucous
membranes and nails (1, 2). The skin manifestations of this disease are
multiple purple papules often accompanied by itching (3). The mucosal
involvement of this disease is known as mucosal erosions that often
involve the oral mucosa and genital area (4).
One of the rare types of this skin disease is called ulcerative lichen
planus, which presents as chronic ulcers resistant to treatment,
associated with pain and many disabilities for patients (5, 6). The
involvement of the soles of the feet is one of the most significant
areas affected by ulcerative lichen planus. Despite several treatment
options having been studied in the past, treating plantar ulcerative
lichen planus remains a challenge for dermatologists (4-8).
Tofacitinib, a Janus Kinase inhibitor, has a special place in the
treatment of inflammatory diseases in medicine (9). Recently, studies
have shown its effectiveness in treating various skin diseases such as
psoriasis, alopecia areata, vitiligo, and atopic dermatitis (10). In
recent studies, the effectiveness of this drug in treating certain types
of lichen planus has been mentioned, including lichen planopilaris and
erosions of the oral mucosa (9, 11).
In this article, we presented a case of plantar ulcerative lichen planus
that was initially resistant to treatment but exhibited a remarkable
response upon being treated with oral tofacitinib. In addition, we
conducted a comprehensive review of literature on the efficacy of
tofacitinib in treating various types of lichen planus lesions, while
also discussing other proposed treatments for plantar ulcerative lichen
planus.