Vulvar pain

Other names: Vulval pain
External and internal views of the vulva
Types| Acute, chronic, neuropathic[1]
Causes| Yeast infections, herpes simplex, lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, Paget disease, squamous cell carcinoma, postherpetic neuralgia, injury such as from surgery, childbirth, radiation, or female genital mutilation, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, vulvodynia[2]
Differential diagnosis| Dyspareunia[1]
Treatment| Depends on the underlying cause[1]
Frequency| Common[1]

Vulvar pain is pain in the area of the vulva.[1] This may include pain in the vestibule, clitoris, or labia majora.[1] It may be short or long term condition.[1] Vulvar pain may result in anxiety, depression, or sexual dysfunction.[1] Long term pain may be associated with painful bladder syndrome and fibromyalgia.[1]

Valvar pain is grouped into two types, that due to a specific cause and long term pain of unknown cause, known as vulvodynia.[2] Specific causes include infections such as yeast infections and herpes simplex, inflammatory disorders such as lichen planus and lichen sclerosus, tumors such as Paget disease and squamous cell carcinoma, neurological problems such as postherpetic neuralgia, injury such as from surgery, childbirth, radiation, and female genital mutilation, and hormonal disorders such as genitourinary syndrome of menopause and lactational amenorrhea.[2]

Treatment depends on the underlying cause.[1] Vulvar pain is common.[1] Long term pain of unclear cause affects about 22% of women at some point in time and the related symptom pain with sex occurs in 10% to 20% of women.[1] The condition has been described in some detail since at least 1874 by Gailliard Thomas.[1] Women may be hesitant to bring the condition up with their healthcare provider and some have providers have dismissed the problem as "psychological".[1]

## Terminology[edit | edit source]

Long term vulvar pain of unclear cause may be categorized as vestibulodynia, clitorodynia, or vulvodynia.[1]

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Graziottin, Alessandra; Murina, Filippo (2017). Vulvar Pain: From Childhood to Old Age. Springer. pp. 1–14. ISBN 978-3-319-42677-8. Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stenson, AL (September 2017). "Vulvodynia: Diagnosis and Management". Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America. 44 (3): 493–508. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2017.05.008. PMID 28778645.