Malnutrition in this part of women can actually induce cancer

For a long time, there has been severe itching of the vulva, accompanied by hypopigmentation and whitening of the skin and mucous membranes, and thickening and coarsening of the local skin, collectively known as "vulvar leukoplakia". However, there is no unified diagnostic standard. In 1975, the International Society for the Study of Vulva decided to cancel the name "vulvar leukoplakia" and renamed the disease "chronic vulvar dystrophy." As a result, many people have misunderstood this disease and thought that it is the same as general systemic malnutrition. Some patients asked doctors in outpatient clinics: Am I lacking any food? How could this be?

What is vulvar dystrophy?

In fact, the exact cause of this disease is still unclear. Some people have conducted experiments in which they exchanged the diseased vulva skin with normal skin on the patient's thigh. After a period of time, they found that the transplanted skin turned normal, while the normal skin transplanted to the vulva turned into diseased skin again. Therefore, it is speculated that the neurovascular dysfunction deep in the vulva may lead to nutritional imbalance in the skin covering the surface. Studies have shown that tissues in various parts of the body rely on nerve regulation to ensure adequate blood supply so that they can absorb nutrients. If the nutrition supply is insufficient for a long time, it will inevitably lead to pathology. Vulvar malnutrition refers to local lesions and has no direct relationship with the overall nutritional status.

There are three types of vulvar dystrophy:

1. Hyperplastic type: The lesions are white or red and account for half of vulvar malnutrition. The histological features are blunt or widened epidermal nails, hyperkeratosis, and chronic inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis.

2. Sclerotic and atrophic lichen type: the epidermis becomes thinner and the nail processes disappear. The epithelial cell layer is reduced, the basal cell layer structure is destroyed, and edema occurs.

3. Mixed type: It has both types of pathological changes.

Possible canceration

In the past, many people believed that vulvar leukoplakia was a precancerous lesion and advocated early removal of the diseased tissue. However, practice has shown that the recurrence rate is quite high. In recent years, experts have conducted long-term follow-up and found that the cancer rate in patients with chronic vulvar malnutrition is only about 2%. The key is that for some patients with severe symptoms that have not been effectively treated for a long time, as well as those with ulcers, nodules and other lesions on the vulva, a part of the tissue should be selected for pathological examination in time.

Treatment: If atypical epithelial hyperplasia is found under a microscope, you need to be particularly vigilant. If it continues to develop, simple vulvectomy or laser treatment may be required. Generally speaking, the use of hydrocortisone or testosterone propionate hepatic oil ointment can achieve good results in softening local skin, loosening adhesions and eliminating itching, but it must be used for a long time to be effective. So don't lose confidence in general antipruritic drugs. It should be said that as long as the condition does not progress after taking the medicine and the symptoms are alleviated, the medicine can be considered effective.

Experts emphasize: People with white lesions on the vulva should keep the vulva clean and dry, do not use soap or other irritating drugs to clean the vulva, do not scratch it with your hands, do not eat spicy food, wear loose clothes, and do not wear non-breathable synthetic fiber underwear.