Introduction: Plasma cell cheilitis (PCC) is a rare, chronic inflammatory dermatitis of unknown etiology. Due to the limited number of cases reported, no guidelines have been established for its treatment. We present a case of PCC clinically similar to actinic cheilitis or mucosal lichen planus, and squamous cell carcinoma but showed response to topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment. Case Report: A 62-year-old female with extreme fondness to piping hot food presented with a solitary painful ulceration with some pustules and bleeding on the lower lip with three (3) months duration. Skin punch biopsy revealed a dense band-like infiltrate of plasma cells which is consistent with Plasma cell cheilitis. The patient was given tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and showed significant improvement after a month of treatment. Conclusion PCC is a rare condition that should still be considered in patients presenting with persistent cheilitis. Clinical and histological correlation is advised for proper management and prognostication.
cheilitis ; plasma cell ; tacrolimus