Background:Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. It is characterized by notable heterogeneity in clinical presentation and behavior.Main observations:We describe 3 patients with lichenoid lesions of the upper lip and upper anterior gingiva. These cases probably represent a clinical subtype of lichenoid lesions associated with microbial antigenicity and are characterized by persistency. All three patients had a long history of previous ineffective treatments and all three showed an excellent response to a combination of clarithromycin (2 x 250 mg/day) and prednisolone (15 mg/day).Conclusion:The combination of clarithromycin and prednisolone may be considered as an alternative intervention in patients with lichenoid lesions of the upper lip and upper anterior gingiva.