OBJECTIVE: To record the clinical features, symptomatic response to topical steroids, and resolution of clinical signs in a large cohort of female patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus. DESIGN: Descriptive cohort study with a mean follow-up of 66 months. SETTING: The vulvar clinics of a teaching hospital and of a district general hospital in Oxfordshire, England. PATIENTS: Three hundred twenty-seven patients (74 girls and 253 women) with a definite clinical diagnosis of vulvar lichen sclerosus. Interventions The patients received topical steroids as part of their normal care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptomatic response to treatment (good, partial, or poor); response of the vulvar signs (total, partial, minor, or poor); and the presence or absence of moderate or severe scarring. RESULTS: The mean age at onset was 5.4 years in girls and 55.1 years in women and first-choice therapy was an ultrapotent topical steroid for 50% of the girls and 89% of the women. Response to treatment was recorded in 255 patients. In 244 patients (96%) symptoms improved with treatment, as 168 (66%) became symptom free and 76 (30%) showed partial response; 11 (4%) had poor response. Among the 253 patients in whom a response of the vulvar signs to topical steroid was recorded, 58 (23%) showed total response, with return to normal skin texture and color; and 173 (68%) showed partial, 18 (7%) showed minor, and 4 (2%) showed poor response. Moderate or severe scarring occurred less often in girls (P<.001). Squamous cell carcinoma developed in 6 women (2.4%). CONCLUSION: Topical ultrapotent steroid is an effective treatment for vulvar lichen sclerosus, giving relief of symptoms in most and completely reversing the skin changes in approximately one fifth of patients.
OBJECTIVE: To record the clinical features, symptomatic response to topical steroids, and resolution of clinical signs in a large cohort of female patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus. DESIGN: Descriptive cohort study with a mean follow-up of 66 months. SETTING: The vulvar clinics of a teaching hospital and of a district general hospital in Oxfordshire, England. PATIENTS: Three hundred twenty-seven patients (74 girls and 253 women) with a definite clinical diagnosis of vulvar lichen sclerosus. Interventions The patients received topical steroids as part of their normal care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptomatic response to treatment (good, partial, or poor); response of the vulvar signs (total, partial, minor, or poor); and the presence or absence of moderate or severe scarring. RESULTS: The mean age at onset was 5.4 years in girls and 55.1 years in women and first-choice therapy was an ultrapotent topical steroid for 50% of the girls and 89% of the women. Response to treatment was recorded in 255 patients. In 244 patients (96%) symptoms improved with treatment, as 168 (66%) became symptom free and 76 (30%) showed partial response; 11 (4%) had poor response. Among the 253 patients in whom a response of the vulvar signs to topical steroid was recorded, 58 (23%) showed total response, with return to normal skin texture and color; and 173 (68%) showed partial, 18 (7%) showed minor, and 4 (2%) showed poor response. Moderate or severe scarring occurred less often in girls (P<.001). Squamous cell carcinoma developed in 6 women (2.4%). CONCLUSION: Topical ultrapotent steroid is an effective treatment for vulvar lichen sclerosus, giving relief of symptoms in most and completely reversing the skin changes in approximately one fifth of patients.
Authors: Mitchell B Berger; Nicholas J Damico; Stacy B Menees; Dee E Fenner; Hope K Haefner Journal: J Low Genit Tract Dis Date: 2012-07 Impact factor: 1.925
Authors: Leia Mitchell; Andrew T Goldstein; Debra Heller; Theodora Mautz; Chelsea Thorne; So Yeon Joyce Kong; Maria E Sophocles; Hillary Tolson; Jill M Krapf Journal: Obstet Gynecol Date: 2021-06-01 Impact factor: 7.661
Authors: Dominika Orszulak; Agnieszka Dulska; Kacper Niziński; Kaja Skowronek; Jakub Bodziony; Rafał Stojko; Agnieszka Drosdzol-Cop Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-07-04 Impact factor: 3.390