Vulva: Epithelial Abnormalities

Abstract

The vulval dystrophies are a group of conditions characterized by disordered growth, and sometimes maturation, of the vulval squamous epithelium: their aetiology is unknown though recently an association between vulval dystrophy and achlorhydria has been demonstrated whilst papilloma virus has been identified in a few cases. A rationalized and simplified classification and nomenclature of vulval dystrophieshas replaced an earlier system which was based almost entirely on the naked eye appearance of the lesions, but which subsequently acquired a pathological connotation which was confusing, unsatisfactory and, at times, misleading. Thus terms such as kraurosis, leukoplakia and neurodermatitis are no longer acceptable as pathological diagnoses, and the vulval dystrophies are classified as hyperplastic dystrophy, with or without cellular atypia, lichen sclerosus and mixed dystrophy.