Idiopathic granulomatous vulvitis.

A 20-year-old woman initially presented with clinical evidence of an acute vulval inflammatory disorder incorrectly diagnosed as a Bartholin's abscess. Prolonged healing associated with infection followed attempts to incise and biopsy the area. Over a decade the condition has followed a chronic course with exacerbations and remissions and the vulva has become progressively more swollen and distorted. Lymphangiomas have developed. Histology showed non-necrotizing granulomas. Investigations for Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis were negative. Prednisone resulted in improvement during acute inflammatory episodes.