Non-neoplastic epithelial lesions of the vulva (NNEDV) lichen sclerosus (LS) and squamous hyperplasia (SH) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (SCC). To date, there have been no recognisable precursor lesions for SCC associated with NNEDV. TP53 is the most frequent genetic change in human cancers and can indicate both aetiology and molecular pathogenesis of tumours. A total of 27 SCC patients underwent immunohistochemistry (IHC) and TP53 mutational analysis using microdissection and direct sequencing. There were 19 patients with areas of adjacent epidermis: 17 had NNEDV (four SCCs had more than one adjacent lesion) and two had normal epidermis. In all, 70.4% of the SCCs, 40% LS and 22.2% SH demonstrated overexpression of p53. In total, 77.8% of SCCs, 46.7% of LS and 22.2% SH demonstrated mutations in TP53, with the majority of lesions having a mutation in codon 136. Eight cases were identified where the same mutation was identified in the SCC and in the adjacent area. These data suggest that TP53 mutations develop in NNEDV and are intrinsic to the clonal evolution that leads to SCC. The type of mutation detected is more likely to occur due to endogenous cellular changes rather than exogenous carcinogen exposure. British Journal of Cancer (2003) Lichen sclerosus (LS) is an inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology and pathogenesis. It is a disorder of the skin, which is most common in the genital area but can occur anywhere on the body. It affects both sexes and all age groups. In a review by Meffert et al (1995) of 5207 patients, the female-to-male incidence was reported as 6 : 1, with genital involvement in 83% of cases. The majority of sufferers of anogenital LS are either middle-aged or elderly women. The predominant symptom in females is an intractable itch, which is often associated with dysuria, dyspareunia, dryness of the skin, labial stenosis or fusion and, in children, constipation (Laude et al, 1980).There have been many studies assessing the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (SCC) in inflammatory diseases of the vulva. Wallace (1971) reported that 12 of 290 (4%) patients developed SCC following a history of LS during a 12-year period but further follow-up studies have shown a wide range of risk of progression (Hart et al, 1975;Meffert et al, 1995;Carlson et al, 1998). Others (Rueda et al, 1994;Scurry et al, 1997;Vilmer et al, 2000) have looked at the skin adjacent to SCC which, not uncommonly, shows epithelial disorders; the most common are LS and squamous hyperplasia (SH).The TP53 gene is located on chromosome 17p13.1; it consists of 11 exons with 10 introns. Exon 1 is noncoding, while exons 5 -8 are part of the highly evolutionarily conserved domain. Mutations in the TP53 gene are the most frequent genetic changes in human cancers, and the spectrum of mutations can indicate tumour aetiology and molecular pathogenesis (Levine et al, 1991;Greenblatt et al, 1994). In addition, a comparison of the mutation profile between malignant and potential p...

Abnormalities in the cell cycle are associated with tumorigenesis but have not yet been identified in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva or in adjacent vulvar lesions. The purpose of this study was to identify cell cycle protein expression (cyclin D1 and retinoblastoma protein [pRb]) in vulvar SCC and in adjacent potentially premalignant lesions: lichen sclerosis (LS), squamous cell hyperplasia (SH), and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). Using immunohistochemical techniques, 57 SCCs were analyzed with 19 adjacent areas showing LS, 13 showing SH, 11 VIN, and six normal epithelium. Fifty-one percent of SCCs showed abnormal cyclin D1 expression and 37% showed abnormal pRb. Abnormal cyclin D1 expression in the adjacent areas was as follows: 53% in LS, 31% in SH, 18% in VIN, and 0% in normal. Abnormal pRb expression was as follows: 42% in LS, 62% in SH, 46% in VIN, and 33% in normal. Only 10 lesions showed abnormal expression of both proteins. Abnormal expression of cyclin D1 in SCC was statistically significant compared with adjacent normal epithelium. In SCC lesions, abnormal cyclin D1 expression was associated with greater depth of invasion. Abnormal pRb in SCC was associated with poor tumor grade. Cyclin D1 and pRb are separately involved in the progression of vulvar cancer, and changes in the expression of these proteins may represent an early stage of malignant transformation in vulvar disease.

To develop a new noninvasive technique to measure vulval blood flow changes during sexual arousal; 18 healthy volunteers between the age of 20 and 33 years were studied. Each subject underwent two experimental sessions at least 2 weeks apart to coincide with the proliferative and luteal phases of her menstrual cycle. An initial laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) scan of the vulva was performed. The subject was then given a chapter of erotic fiction to read and a repeat LDPI scan was performed immediately after. The percentage change in flux were calculated: the clitoral skin blood flow increased by 26.4% (P < 0.05), labial skin blood flow by 24.9% (P < 0.05) and the posterior fourchette skin blood flow by 35.3% (P < 0.05). LDPI can detect changes in vulval perfusion during the sexual arousal response and could be used to compare healthy subjects with female sexual dysfunction patients, as well as for assessing the benefits of any treatment for this condition.

Our data suggest that topical corticosteroids have an effect on cell cycle proteins in genital skin and, in particular, genital skin with LS changes.

Lichen sclerosus (LS) has a known association with the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. The purpose of this study was to investigate molecular markers, which could indicate premalignant changes. Multiple sequential vulvar biopsies were taken over a period of 11 years from a patient with longstanding LS. Immunohistochemical staining was used to demonstrate a range of molecular markers. Increased expression of p53 and Ki67 was found in areas of squamous hyperplasia (SH) and differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dVIN) which correlated with the subsequent development of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Molecular changes have been found to accompany histologic changes in the progression of vulvar LS to malignancy. Such markers may prove a useful addition in the clinical management of these conditions.