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Review
. 2021 Nov 23;10(23):5491.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10235491.

Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Agnieszka Gerkowicz  1 , Paulina Szczepanik-Kułak  1 , Dorota Krasowska  1
Affiliations
Review

Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Agnieszka Gerkowicz et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the genital skin and mucous membrane. Patients exhibit focal atrophy and destructive scarring, with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Due to objective symptoms as well as subjective complaints, patients with VLS experience emotional distress, lowered mood, and sexual dysfunction, which is reflected in impaired health-related quality of life. Thus, the necessity of implementing appropriate therapy at the earliest possible stage of the disease in order to avoid serious complications is highlighted. We presented the systematic review of available literature, performed with MEDLINE, Cinahl, Central, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We identified a total of twenty relevant studies which indicate that photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a valuable therapeutic modality in the treatment of VLS.

Keywords: PDT; VLS; photodynamic therapy; vulvar lichen sclerosus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Literature search based on PRISMA protocol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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