Laser treatment of lichen sclerosus
by pract. med. Nikoleta Dimitrova
Fractionated CO2 laser treatment of lichen sclerosus is an effective, outpatient therapy with few side effects.
Lichen sclerosus is a chronic skin disease that affects approximately one in fifty women and is still underdiagnosed. It is often misdiagnosed as a fungal disease, bladder infection or herpes. The disease is not contagious and can affect women of any age. The majority of patients are adult women. The disease usually manifests in the genital area. A typical symptom is chronic itching of the vulva that does not respond to conventional medications. The very dry skin and scratching can lead to small skin lesions and scars. As the disease progresses, the labia may recede and the skin may turn whitish. Narrowing of the vaginal opening may cause pain during intercourse (dyspareunia).
Early diagnosis is important in order to halt the progression of the disease as much as possible. Initial treatment with cortisone cream is recommended.
There are now several promising studies on the treatment of lichen sclerosus with fractionated CO2 laser.
Laser therapy has an anti-inflammatory effect, increases blood flow to the tissues, and stimulates the formation of new connective tissue fibers by heating the deeper layers of the skin.
The treatment is performed on a large area of the pubic region and does not require local anesthesia as it is not very painful.
The special laser consultation is performed by Dr. Dimitrova. She has a certificate of competence in laser treatment of anogenital skin and mucosa.
Lichen sclerosus is a chronic skin disease that affects approximately one in fifty women and is still underdiagnosed. It is often misdiagnosed as a fungal disease, bladder infection or herpes. The disease is not contagious and can affect women of any age. The majority of patients are adult women. The disease usually manifests in the genital area. A typical symptom is chronic itching of the vulva that does not respond to conventional medications. The very dry skin and scratching can lead to small skin lesions and scars. As the disease progresses, the labia may recede and the skin may turn whitish. Narrowing of the vaginal opening may cause pain during intercourse (dyspareunia).
Early diagnosis is important in order to halt the progression of the disease as much as possible. Initial treatment with cortisone cream is recommended.
There are now several promising studies on the treatment of lichen sclerosus with fractionated CO2 laser.
Laser therapy has an anti-inflammatory effect, increases blood flow to the tissues, and stimulates the formation of new connective tissue fibers by heating the deeper layers of the skin.
The treatment is performed on a large area of the pubic region and does not require local anesthesia as it is not very painful.
The special laser consultation is performed by Dr. Dimitrova. She has a certificate of competence in laser treatment of anogenital skin and mucosa.