Author(s)

Ian S. C. Jones, Alister Jones

Department of Surgery, Gold Coast Hospital, Gold Coast, Australia.
Women’s and Newborn Services, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane and University of Queensland, and Department of Surgery, Gold Coast Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia.

Objective: To review the long-term outcomes for 155 women with a vulvar dystrophy (VD) who attended the Royal Brisbane Hospital Vulvar Clinic between 1976 and 1988. Methods: VD data from Vulvar Diseases Clinic were reviewed and analysed using the computer software Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 11.0. Results: Of 155 patients 94 had Lichen Sclerosus (LS), 41 Lichen Simplex Chronicus (LSC) and 20 Mixed Dystrophy (MD). Three patients developed squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva between 10 and 26 years after presentation with a VD. To date only one of these three patients remains alive following treatment. Conclusion: The need for long term follow up is stressed and any of the three types of VD may become malignant. Time from diagnosis to malignant change is not predictive. VD treatments seem to go through phases with the application of potent steroid creams having stood the test of time.

Vulvar Dystrophies; Features; Treatment; Malignancy

Jones, I. and Jones, A. (2012) Vulvar dystrophies: A long-term Brisbane study of 155 cases. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2, 210-212. doi: 10.4236/ojog.2012.23042.