Pregnancy-associated invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in a 28-year-old, HIV-negative woman. A case report

Abstract

Background: The incidence of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in women under 40 years of age has been increasing, particularly in association with human papillomavirus. Invasive vulvar carcinoma is rare in women under 30, as is an association with pregnancy. We report on a 28-year-old woman who was diagnosed with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva during pregnancy.

Case: The patient, gravida 5, para 4105, HIV negative, presented to the emergency room with vulvar pain. She had delivered a term infant three months earlier at another institution and was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva at that time. At this admission, a 4.0-cm, ulcerated lesion involving the left labium minus was noted. The patient underwent examination under anesthesia with bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection, cone biopsy, radical vulvectomy and excision of perianal lesions.

Conclusion: This case demonstrates the need to biopsy all suspicious vulvar lesions, even in young and pregnant women.