Lichenoid vulvar dermatoses: clinical presentation, morphology, and dermatoscopic signs

Abstract

Lichenoid vulvar dermatoses are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by a number of overlapping signs and/or morphological features. Clinical similarity is accounted for by the appearance of small discrete papules with closely adjacent superficial squamae. The prototype of lichenoid dermatoses is lichen ruber planus. Histologically, lichenoid pattern is characterized by basal epithelial cell damage and a band-like infiltrate in the upper dermis. The International Society on Vulvovaginal Diseases categorizes lichen ruber planus and early lichen sclerosus as dermatoses with this histological pattern. Some authors also classify plasma cell (Zoon) vulvitis as lichenoid vulvar dermatoses. The cause of diagnostic errors lies in the similarity of the clinical and histological presentations of lichenoid vulvar dermatoses. Dermatoscopy should be considered as an additional diagnostic test. Only few studies address the key dermatoscopic signs of vulvar dermatoses. Histological study is important for the differential diagnosis. However, at some stages of disease evolution, vulvar dermatoses can have an overlapping histological pattern. This paper summarizes the data on the clinical, histological, and dermatoscopic presentation of the most common lichenoid vulvar dermatoses, i.e., lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, lichen simplex chronicus, and plasma cell vulvitis. KEYWORDS: lichenoid dermatoses, vulvar dermatoses, lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, lichen simplex chronicus, plasma cell vulvitis, Zoon vulvitis, dermoscopy. FOR CITATION: Parygina O.V., Smirnova I.O., Oganesyan M.V. et al. Lichenoid vulvar dermatoses: clinical presentation, morphology, and dermatoscopic signs. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2020;4(10):617–624. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-10-617-624.