Classification of Vulvar Leukoplakia
Vulvar leukoplakia is one of the common diseases among women. Due to the susceptibility of the white spot areas in vulvar leukoplakia to become cancerous, there is a certain relationship between vulvar leukoplakia and the occurrence of cancer. Therefore, paying attention to vulvar leukoplakia and understanding it has become a focus for people.
So, what is vulvar leukoplakia? How is vulvar leukoplakia classified?
Gynecological experts introduce: Vulvar leukoplakia, also known as female vulvar leukoplakia, refers to localized or diffuse white patches on the vulvar skin of women, which can spread to the inner sides of both lower limbs, perineum, and anus, but rarely invades the urethral opening and vestibule. Symptoms include vulvar itching, dry skin, thickening and whitening, loss of elasticity, and even atrophy and ulceration, accompanied by pain and a burning sensation.
Based on differences in histopathological changes, vulvar leukoplakia is divided into three types: hyperplastic nutritional dystrophy, sclerotic lichen nutritional dystrophy, and mixed nutritional dystrophy.
[1] Hyperplastic Nutritional Dystrophy
Hyperplastic nutritional dystrophy is commonly seen in postmenopausal women and is a vulvar disease characterized primarily by vulvar itching with an unknown cause. Vulvar itching is the main symptom of this disease, and patients often find it difficult to endure. Scratching the local area stimulates larger nerve fibers, which can suppress the reflex of itch nerve fibers, temporarily relieving the patient's itching. However, scratching can further damage the skin, triggering new itch responses and intensifying the itching, forming a vicious cycle.
[2] Sclerotic Lichen Nutritional Dystrophy
Commonly seen in women around the age of 40, it is a skin disease mainly characterized by the atrophy and thinning of the vulvar and anal skin. Patients with sclerotic lichen nutritional dystrophy generally experience symptoms of itching, and in the late stages, may also experience difficulties with sexual intercourse. The vulvar skin and mucosa, as well as the anal surrounding skin, exhibit whitening and thinning of the skin or mucosa, dryness prone to cracking, loss of elasticity, clitoral atrophy often accompanied by adhesion to the prepuce, and flattening and disappearance of the labia minora.
[3] Mixed Nutritional Dystrophy
In patients with vulvar leukoplakia of the hyperplastic and atrophic types, as the condition progresses from the middle to later stages, mixed symptoms of both types typically appear. The main manifestation is focal skin thickening or elevation adjacent to or within the thin white areas of the vulva.
Expert Reminder: The causes of vulvar leukoplakia in women are related to changes in the internal environment and repeated infiltration of local vulvar inflammation. Therefore, women should pay attention to rest, ensure adequate sleep, adjust their emotions, and enhance immunity. Vulvar and vaginal inflammations should be treated promptly to eliminate external factors that could lead to lesions. If unfortunately afflicted with vulvar leukoplakia, timely treatment at a regular hospital is necessary to prevent the disease from progressing to a severe stage, transforming into cancer, and endangering life.
This article is excerpted from: Changchun Gynecology Hospital Official Website Original Address: http://www.tjfk999.com/waiyinyan/201104272351.html For more information about gynecological diseases, please visit the official website of Changchun Gynecology Hospital.