Patient's question:
Lately, I've been feeling itchy down there, and I even scratched it, which is very painful and uncomfortable. I went to the hospital for a check-up, and they said I have leukoplakia of the vulva. I'm really struggling with this. What should I do if I have leukoplakia of the vulva?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Patients with leukoplakia of the vulva often do not realize it because it is usually painless, and it is detected by doctors. Some patients, however, may notice the whitening of the vulvar skin during follow-up visits due to itching. The cause of this is still unclear, but it is relatively clear that when the vulvar skin develops certain diseases again, the epidermis in the affected area becomes excessively keratinized, and the number of melanocytes increases, causing the skin to turn white. The affected skin may thicken like leather, or it may become thin, dry, and prone to cracking, even leading to ulcers or lumps. If the vulvar skin turns white, whether it itches or not, it is important to visit a hospital for a thorough examination. This is especially true if the skin shows thickening, roughness, protrusions, ulcers, cracking, or lumps.