Vulval lichen sclerosus: An Australasian management consensus
Janice Yeon1,2, Amanda Oakley3, Ann Olsson4
1The Skin Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology
|June 12, 2021
Summary
This consensus provides guidelines for managing vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS), a chronic inflammatory skin condition. It establishes expert agreement on diagnosis, severity, and treatment for better patient care.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Gynecology
- Pediatric Dermatology
Background:
- Vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the anogenital region.
- Current lack of expert agreement on VLS severity scales hinders assessment and treatment.
- Limited literature exists on best practices for long-term VLS management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish broad guidelines for the short and long-term management of VLS.
- To address the need for a standardized VLS severity assessment scale.
- To improve treatment stratification and clinical practice for VLS.
Main Methods:
- An Australasian expert panel of 22 dermatologists participated in a four-stage eDelphi process.
- A focus group initially developed a draft consensus statement.
- Consensus was defined as ≥70% agreement among experts on management statements.
Main Results:
- The expert panel achieved consensus on 51 management statements for VLS.
- These statements cover diagnosis, severity assessment, initial and long-term management, follow-up, and complications.
- The consensus reflects 504 collective years of VLS expertise.
Conclusions:
- A core set of VLS management statements has been identified.
- These guidelines offer practical utility for clinicians managing VLS in the Australasian population.
- The consensus aims to standardize VLS care and improve patient outcomes.
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