Some women suffer with irritation consisting of dryness, chafing and itching intermittently for years thinking that it’s a mild yeast infection or sensitivity to irritants in the products that touch the vulvar tissues when in fact it’s not. Instead an vulvar condition called Lichen Sclerosus can elude doctors during it’s early stages for years causing these symptoms. Changes in the skin start out as subtle wrinking, shinyness and stickyness of the skin. As it progresses, the tissues lying adjacent to each other such as the periclitoral tissues, the interlabial folds and the base of the vagina can fuse together causing linear fusion lines. If pulled apart these fused areas can crack open causing small paper-cut fissures which brings a new symptom of burning & stinging. Also the tissues surrounding the vaginal opening can turn slightly blanched-white. This can include the peri-anal area. The whitening can be splotchy or smooth with symmetric bilateral outlines. Many doctors including gynecologists can entirely overlook the early signs of the condition. Consider the plight of the patient below:

“I was diagnosed by Dr. Fowler 3 1/2 months ago with Lichen Sclerosis. I had seen 5-10 doctors trying to figure out how to help me with the symptoms I was having, and get a diagnosis. I was so frustrated and felt like nothing was going to help me relieve my symptoms. After seeing Dr. Fowler, he helped me know exactly what I needed to do to improve, and answers came! I started feeling better quickly and learned how to manage my symptoms feeling like I can lead a normal life again! Overall I'm 80% better at this point." J. Sahuarita, AZ

Even when general gynecologists make the correct diagnosis, commonly they prescribe superpotent corticosteriods on an intermittent basis. While suprapotent corticosteriods have their role, using them each time the condition flares is not the best way to effectively mamage the condition. Lichen Sclerosus belongs to the family of dermatoses. Other conditions in this diagnostic category which are better known include ezcema, psoriasis, and seborrhea or dandruff. These conditions are chronic meaning they cannot be cured so they must be managed on an on-going basis. Its best to get the condition suppressed then continue a maintainence cream to keep it in check. Another common mistake that even gynecologists make is that they tell patient that it requires a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This could not be farther from the truth. The only time a biopsy is necessary is to exclude the possibility for precancer or cancerous transformation. Whenever there is thickening known as leukoplakia then this site warrants biopsy. To learn more about Lichen Sclerosus, contact Fowler Gyn International (FGI). They have developed effective treatment protocols for Lichen Sclerosus which is the result of years of clinical observation and research by the founder, board certified gynecologist, Dr. R. Stuart Fowler. Contact them at http://www.fowlergyninternational.com/contact-us to learn more.