Dilators that help to open the vagina and exercises that relax the surrounding muscles may help. Women are encouraged to discuss their health needs with a health practitioner. If you have concerns about your health, you should seek advice from your health care provider or if you require urgent care you should go to the nearest Emergency Dept.
For most women it is a lifelong condition. What are the signs of vulvar lichen planus? What causes lichen planus? How is lichen planus diagnosed? How is lichen planus treated? A total of women with the typical features of adult-onset LS of the vulva and women with adult-onset erosive LP of the vulva defined as onset postmenarche were recruited from all women attending the dedicated vulval clinics in Oxfordshire, England. A control group of women were recruited as part of a study of postmenopausal women.
All study and control patients were of North European ethnicity. Recruits for the control study were obtained from the community via 2 general practices in Oxfordshire and through posters displayed in the dermatology department and the breast cancer screening unit. Permission for these studies was given by the ethics committee individual ethics submission codes CO2.
A questionnaire eliciting information on a personal history of autoimmune disease was completed by women. Of these women, agreed to be examined hereinafter, examined controls , and underwent blood tests for autoantibodies and thyroid function.
The LS, LP, and control cohorts were recruited over 2, 4, and 2 years respectively. A personal history of autoimmune disorders was established by direct questioning in the LS, LP, and examined control groups. The control group was specifically asked about thyroid disease.
Other autoimmune disorders eg, vitiligo, alopecia areata, pernicious anemia, chronic active hepatitis, Addison disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and pemphigus were noted when the medical history was taken.
A family history of autoimmune disorders in first-degree relatives was sought from patients with LS and erosive LP but not from controls , but no corroboration from family members was possible. An autoantibody profile test was performed that included thyroid peroxidase and antinuclear, antigastric parietal, antismooth muscle, and antimitochondrial antibodies all patients had tests for antinuclear and antithyroid antibodies, but in 11 patients with LS and 34 with LP, tests for the whole range of other autoantibody profiles were not performed.
Positive results were taken as antibody titers above the upper limit of the clinically significant range. For thyroid peroxidase antibodies, this was defined as greater than 60 U. For antinuclear antibodies Hep assay; Immuno Concepts, Sacramento, California , a titer of or higher was deemed positive titers of were defined as weak antibodies. The results of patients with LS and those with erosive LP of the vulva and control patients were compared using descriptive statistics.
In the event of low expected cell counts, a Fisher exact test was performed. The mean and median ages of the LS cohort mean age, 63 years [range, years]; median age, 64 years , erosive LP cohort 61 years [range, years]; median age, 63 years , and normal control cohort 61 years [range, years]; median age, 59 years were very similar.
The mean age of the control patients examined including those who had serum autoantibodies and thyroid function assayed was 62 years range, years; median age, 60 years. The presence or absence of a family history of autoimmune disorder was obtained in of women in the LS cohort and of women in the LP cohort Table 2. Serum autoantibody assays were undertaken in patients with LS, patients with erosive LP, and control patients.
Read more about the causes of lichen planus. A GP can usually diagnose lichen planus by examining the rash and asking about your symptoms. Oral lichen planus is often diagnosed by a dentist during routine dental check-ups. Read more about diagnosing lichen planus. It's more common in adults over the age of Lichen planus of the skin affects men and women equally. However, oral lichen planus is more common in women. There's no single treatment that can cure lichen planus completely.
However, treatments are available to help manage the symptoms and make living with it easier. For example, steroid creams or ointments are often used to help relieve the itch and control the rash. Most cases of lichen planus of the skin clear up on their own within 6 to 9 months.
The rash rarely lasts longer than 18 months. However, oral lichen planus and lichen planus that affects the genital area may be more persistent. Read more about how lichen planus is treated. Erosive lichen planus is a rare form of lichen planus that can last a long time. It causes painful ulcers to develop in the mouth and in the genital areas of both males and females. In some cases, long-term erosive lichen planus can increase the chance of some types of cancer developing. Read our page on complications of lichen planus for more information about erosive lichen planus.
Lichen planus of the skin often affects the wrists, ankles and lower back, although other parts of the body can also be affected. Thickened hypertrophic lichen planus affects the shins, and ring-shaped lichen planus affects creases in the skin, such as the armpits. It's thought to be related to the immune system, or an abnormal response of the immune system to certain medicines. Lichen planus isn't infectious, doesn't usually run in families and can't be passed on to others. The immune system protects your body against illness and infection by producing antibodies proteins that attack bacteria and viruses.
In people with lichen planus, it's thought that the immune system becomes overactive, causing an excess amount of proteins to be produced, which inflame the skin. This is known as an autoimmune reaction and causes the symptoms of lichen planus. Your GP may be able to make a diagnosis based on the characteristic rash.
However, lichen planus can be mistaken for other skin conditions, such as eczema , which also causes the skin to become red, flaky and itchy. If your doctor is unable to make a confident diagnosis by examining your skin, they may want to take a small skin sample biopsy , which will be examined under a microscope.
If a skin biopsy is required, you'll be given a local anaesthetic to numb the affected area so you don't feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.
A biopsy may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis. A sample of mouth tissue will be removed so that it can be examined under a microscope. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Ferri FF, et al. Diseases and disorders. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed Aug. Fistarol SK, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of lichen sclerosus. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
What is lichen sclerosus? Schlosser BJ, et al. Lichen sclerosus and lichen planus in women and girls. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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