Benign vulvar dermatoses

Abstract

Vulvar pruritus and pain are common indications for consultation with a gynecologist. Contact dermatitis, lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia are vulvar dermatoses that are often associated with both pruritus and pain. Because these skin conditions are frequently misdiagnosed by providers and incorrectly self-treated by patients, vulvar biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosis. The etiology of these vulvar skin conditions is multifactorial; therefore, patient education, behavior modification, and regular follow-up with an experienced clinician are essential to ensure effective control of patient symptoms and management of the skin condition.

Target audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Family Physicians.

Learning objectives: After completing this CME activity physicians should be better able to evaluate common vulvar skin conditions and identify these conditions as a source of significant morbidity for women, diagnose vulvar dermatoses using vulvar biopsy as the gold standard, create a differential diagnosis of vulvar skin disorders.