Dermoscopy of pigmented lesions of the vulva: a retrospective morphological study

Abstract

Background: The dermoscopic patterns of pigmented skin tumors are influenced by the body site.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and dermoscopic features associated with pigmented vulvar lesions.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical and dermoscopic images of vulvar lesions. The χ² test was used to test the association between clinical data and histopathological diagnosis.

Results: A total of 42 (32.8%) melanocytic and 86 (67.2%) nonmelanocytic vulvar lesions were analyzed. Nevi significantly prevailed in younger women compared with melanomas and melanosis and exhibited most commonly a globular/cobblestone (51.3%) and a mixed (21.6%) pattern. Dermoscopically all melanomas showed a multicomponent pattern. Melanotic macules showed clinical overlapping features with melanoma, but their dermoscopic patterns differed significantly from those observed in melanomas.

Conclusion: The diagnosis and management of pigmented vulvar lesions should be based on a good clinicodermoscopic correlation. Dermoscopy may be helpful in the differentiation of solitary melanotic macules from early melanoma.