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Lichen Sclerosus
- Skin condition that affects the skin in the genital and anal area
- Can also appear on the upper body, breasts and upper arms
- Can cause whitening of the genital skin and/or thickened white patches
- The skin may appear wrinkled and thin, although LS causes skin thickening underneath the top layer of skin
- Cause is unknown, but researchers speculate that one or more of the following may cause/contribute to the condition:
- Genetics
- Hormones
- Irritants
- Trauma
- Not due to an infection
- Not contagious and cannot be spread through any contact, including sexual intercourse
- Signs
- Whitening of the vulvar skin
- Thickened patches of white skin
- Whitened skin that may appear wrinkled, waxy, thickened or thin
- Changes to the anatomy of the vulva such as loss of the labia minora, fusing of the labia minora to the labia majora and fusing of the clitoral hood to the glans clitoris
- Scarring at the entrance of the vagina (the introitus)
- Partial or complete fusing over the urethra
- Bruising (may appear purple-reddish, depending on the colour of your skin
- Fissures, tears, blood blisters and lesions
- Symptoms
- Itching (can be mild and sporadic to constant and severe)
- Burning
- Pain with sexual intercourse
- Tearing during sexual intercourse
- Difficulty with bowel movements (if LS affects the perianal area)
- Stinging pain from fissures and cuts
- Generalized vulvar discomfort
- A dermatologist/gynecologist can visually confirm a diagnosis from the typical appearance of the condition
- If there is any doubt, a small skin biopsy may be taken and examined under a microscope to confirm
*Stages are based on the location, amount, depth and size of the endometrial tissue and do not necessarily reflect the level of pain experienced, risk of infertility or symptoms present
- Specific criteria include
- The extent of the spread of the tissue
- The involvement of pelvic structures
- The extent of pelvic adhesions
- The blockage of the fallopian tubes
- Ointment: Clobetasol propionate 0.05% to stop inflammation and soften the affected skin
- Moisturizers: To help soften and protect the skin
- Cleansing: Gently wash the affected area daily and pat dry
- Avoid harsh soaps and bathing too much
- Ice/cool compress application/sitz baths/oatmeal solutions: To ease burning and itching
- Antihistamine: To help control the itching
- Regular genital skin checks
- Chances of vulvar cancer increase if you have LS
- With good control of the signs and symptoms, this risk is reduced further
