Book contents
- The Vulva
- The Vulva
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Glossary
- Chapter 1 The Basics
- Chapter 2 Using Topical Steroids on the Vulva
- Chapter 3 Red Vulval Rashes
- Chapter 4 Things That Look White
- Chapter 5 Things That Ulcerate, Blister and Erode
- Chapter 6 Persistent Vaginitis
- Chapter 7 Lumps: Benign and Malignant
- Chapter 8 Vulval Pain and Dyspareunia
- Chapter 9 Vulval Disease in Children
- Chapter 10 Myths and Pearls
- Index
- References
Chapter 4 - Things That Look White
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 August 2023
Book contents
- The Vulva
- The Vulva
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Glossary
- Chapter 1 The Basics
- Chapter 2 Using Topical Steroids on the Vulva
- Chapter 3 Red Vulval Rashes
- Chapter 4 Things That Look White
- Chapter 5 Things That Ulcerate, Blister and Erode
- Chapter 6 Persistent Vaginitis
- Chapter 7 Lumps: Benign and Malignant
- Chapter 8 Vulval Pain and Dyspareunia
- Chapter 9 Vulval Disease in Children
- Chapter 10 Myths and Pearls
- Index
- References
Summary
White- or pale-appearing patches on the vulva are uncommon. Most white vulval lesions are lichen sclerosus. However, vulval intra-epithelial neoplasia (VIN) may also appear white, and dermatitis complicated by lichenification or lichen simplex chronicus may also appear white.
In the past, white patches on the vulva were called ‘leukoplakia’. This term rarely appears anymore and should be regarded as out of date. It should be abandoned in favour of specific diagnostic terms. Because of the potential diagnostic confusion, white lesions on the vulva in adults should be biopsied if possible.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The VulvaA Practical Handbook for Clinicians, pp. 37 - 56Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023
References
Further Reading
Bradford, J., Fischer, G. (2010). Long-term management of vulval lichen sclerosus in adult women. Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaecol, 50, 148–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradford, J., Fischer, G. (2013). Surgical division of labial adhesions in vulvar lichen sclerosus and lichen planus. J Lower Genital Tract Dis, 50, 48–50.Google Scholar
Chi, C. C., Kirtschig, G., Baldo, M. et al. (2011). Topical interventions for genital lichen sclerosus (Cochrane Review). Coch Libr, (12), CD008240.Google Scholar
Cooper, S. M., Ali, I., Baldo, M. et al. (2008). The association of lichen sclerosus and erosive lichen planus of the vulva with autoimmune disease. Arch Dermatol, 144, 1432–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, S. M., Gao, X.-H., Powell, J. J. et al. (2004). Does treatment of vulval lichen sclerosus influence its prognosis? Arch Dermatol, 104, 702–6.Google Scholar
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Jones, R. W., Sadler, L., Grant, S. et al. (2004). Clinically identifying women with vulvar lichen sclerosus at increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma: a case control study. J Reprod Med, 49, 808–11.Google ScholarPubMed
Lee, A., Bradford, J., Fischer, G. (2015). Longterm management of vulvar lichen sclerosus. JAMA Dermatol, 151, 1061–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Powell, J., Wojnarowska, F. (2001). Childhood vulval lichen sclerosus: an increasingly common problem. J Am Acad Dermatol., 44, 803–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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Wijaya, M., Lee, G. L., Fischer, G. (2021). Quality of life of women with untreated vulval lichen sclerosus assess vulval quality of life Index. Austral. J. Dermatol, 62, 177–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wijaya, M., Lee, G., Fischer, G, Lee, A. (2021). Quality of life of vuvlar lichen sclerosus patients treated with long-term topical corticosteroids. J Low Genit Tract Dis, 25, 158–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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