What is vulvar leukoplakia? What are the symptoms of early vulvar leukoplakia?

Vulvar leukoplakia is a common gynecological disease. Once a woman suffers from this disease, her health and life will be greatly affected. For women, the earlier they are treated, the less the impact. Female friends should learn more about this disease so that they can detect the disease early. What are the early symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia?

Vulvar itching

Vulvar itching is a prominent symptom of vulvar leukoplakia in the early stage, which is more obvious at night.

The degree of itching in patients is related to the time of disease occurrence, climate, diet, environmental changes, mood, etc. Itching usually occurs intermittently, and patients often cannot stand the itching and keep scratching. Due to scratching, there will be multiple scratches and redness and swelling in the external vagina. Long-term scratching will cause local fissures, ulcers and secondary infections.

Whitening of skin color

The early symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia are also manifested in the change of skin color of the affected area. At the beginning, the skin color of the vulva will be purple-red or light red. Some patients may also be grayish white or grayish blue, mixed with clearly defined white keratinized plaques of different shapes and sizes. Among them, mixed malnutrition has mixed symptoms of atrophy and hyperplasia, which is manifested by obvious atrophy of the vulva and the skin color becoming lighter and lighter.

Vulvar atrophy

If leukoplakia vulvae is not treated promptly and effectively, the affected area will not only have symptoms such as itching and abnormal skin color, but also mild atrophy of the vulva. In severe cases, the clitoris, labia majora and minora will atrophy and become adherent, and the labia minora will partially or completely disappear. In the end, the joints will tighten, and the vaginal opening will become narrower and narrower, and even lose its elasticity, affecting urination and sexual life. Therefore, patients should pay attention to the treatment of leukoplakia vulvae and not let it develop.

What are the dangers of vulvar leukoplakia?

Women suffering from atrophic vulvar leukoplakia, especially those who have not given birth, will experience great distress during childbirth. Even during vaginal delivery, the pathogens of vulvar leukoplakia may infect the fetus. Therefore, female patients with vulvar leukoplakia are generally recommended to undergo cesarean section.

Induce cancer and transform into vulvar cancer

If you suffer from atrophic vulvar leukoplakia and do not take treatment measures for a long time, it may lead to cancer in the surrounding areas, causing women to suffer from vulvar cancer. Although the cancer rate is not high, it can still endanger the patient's life.

Vulvar itching or severe itching that affects daily life

After women suffer from atrophic vulvar leukoplakia, they often feel unbearable itching in the vulva, as if it is piercing their heart. The itching is paroxysmal and the symptoms worsen at night. It may also be accompanied by discomfort such as burning and dryness of the vulva, which seriously affects their sleep at night and normal work during the day.

The patient has pain during sexual intercourse, which affects the relationship between the couple

Atrophic vulvar leukoplakia can cause the surface of the leukoplakia to become thicker or smoother, and the skin loses elasticity and becomes dry. The female vaginal opening will become narrow due to atrophy, and women will experience pain during sexual intercourse. If relevant treatment measures are not taken in time, the quality of women's sex life may decline, affecting the relationship between husband and wife and the stability of the family.

The urethral opening atrophies and the patient has difficulty urinating

Atrophic vulvar leukoplakia can cause the vulvar skin of female patients to turn white, or the skin surface of the affected vulva to become rough and uneven, with vulvar fissures, or cracks, ulcers, erosions and other symptoms, affecting the atrophy of the urethral opening, making it difficult for women to urinate.