Detailed analysis of the four major symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia

In recent times, there are more and more patients with vulvar leukoplakia. This is because many patients do not understand the symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia and delay treatment. So what are the main symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia? Let's take a look at the symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia.

1. Symptoms of hyperplastic vulvar leukoplakia at different stages

Stage 1 hyperplastic type: The main symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia are vulvar itching. Some patients experience severe itching, which worsens at night. Scratching often causes redness, swelling, and ulceration, and may cause burning and other discomfort.

Stage 2 hyperplastic type: Based on the symptoms of stage I, keratinization and hyperplasia appear in the skin of the lesion area, and mild hypopigmentation appears locally on the vulvar skin (usually occurring on the inner side of the labia majora and minora), in the form of dots or small white papules, with a frosty white surface.

Stage III hyperplastic type: severe hyperplasia of skin keratinization, repeated shedding of the keratin layer, or redness, swelling, edema, cracking, ulceration and erosion of the vulva caused by scratching. There may be itching accompanied by pain. Patients feel that the symptoms are severe, but the treatment effect of this type of patients is rapid. Within one course of treatment, the symptoms of about 85% of patients are basically eliminated.

2. Symptoms of atrophic vulvar leukoplakia at different stages

Stage 1 atrophic type: The main symptoms are not obvious. Some patients have mild itching. No white lesions appear, and the vulva has atrophy that is not easily visible to the naked eye.

Stage 2 atrophy: The most typical symptom of vulvar leukoplakia is mild visible atrophy of the vulva, which usually starts from the labia majora, minora, and clitoris. The elasticity of the labia majora and minora is reduced, and the surface wrinkles are reduced or absent. Vulvar pruritus is relatively mild. Due to atrophy, there may be dryness of the vulva and discomfort during sexual intercourse. The vulvar skin is partially depigmented, in multiple spots or flakes.

Stage 3 atrophic type: severe symptoms. The labia majora of the vulva are flat, the labia minora disappear, and the clitoris shrinks and becomes smaller or adheres. The urethral opening atrophies, and in severe cases, urinary incontinence occurs. The vaginal opening atrophies, and sexual intercourse becomes difficult. Some patients have anal involvement, causing the skin around the anus to have no wrinkles, reduced elasticity, and anal fissures during defecation. About 50% of patients have large areas of hypopigmentation on the vulvar skin.

3. Symptoms of chapped vulvar leukoplakia: It refers to varying degrees of itching or severe itching of the vulva, with varying degrees of hardening, whitening, cracks, and atrophy. In the early stage, the vulva has small white rashes of varying sizes, itching and severe itching; when the symptoms of chapped vulvar leukoplakia are severe, white flakes will fall off, itching will intensify, itching will be unbearable, and the vulva will gradually shrink, harden, become leathery, and uneven; in the late stage, it will be dry and cracked, itchy and unbearable, and the vulva will become like old bark, dry, and cracked, making it impossible for patients to live a normal life.

4. Symptoms of mixed vulvar leukoplakia: Among the above three types, patients with two types are called mixed type. Regardless of which type, patients have varying degrees of dry hair, white hair, pubic hair loss, dry skin, pigmentation on the face or hands, early appearance of age spots, irritability, dry mouth, dry stool, insomnia, decreased libido or no libido, and severe cases of pain and fissures during sexual intercourse.

The above article introduces the symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia. I hope it can help you further understand that the harm of vulvar leukoplakia is very great. Therefore, we must promptly understand the symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia and detect the disease in time, and treat it early to control the deterioration of the disease. If you want to know more about the symptoms of vulvar leukoplakia, you can consult our experts, they will answer you. Here I wish you a speedy recovery.