Lymphangioma circumscriptum of the vulva: case report and review of the literature.

Lymphangioma circumscriptum is a benign disorder of lymphatic channels. The pathology consists of a collection of subcutaneous lymphatic cisterns communicating through dilated channels with superficial clusters of vesicles. The most common symptom is recurrent oozing of clear fluid. Management consists of wide excision, assuring free lateral and deep margins by frozen-section analysis. Involved margins have been shown to increase the recurrence rate. Laser vaporization has been used recently with relatively good results. The etiology of this lesion is unclear; however, lymphatic obstruction has been suggested as a possible cause in occasional cases. Two cases of vulvar lymphangioma circumscriptum have been reported previously in the literature, both arising in elderly women after radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. We present the third case, arising in a 42-year-old woman with no previous surgery or radiation.