Association between vulvar lichen sclerosus and celiac disease in women

Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory condition involving mainly the genital area with an undetermined aetiology. Recent studies show that in up to 34% of cases in adult women, VLS coexists with allergies or autoimmune diseases like celiac disease (CD), among others. However, literature data relating strictly to the co-occurrence of celiac disease and Duhring's disease (DH) in patients with VLS are very limited.

In our study, we sought to clarify the possible relationship between vulvar lichen sclerosus in adult women and celiac disease in its cutaneous form. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the presence of celiac disease-specific antibodies in women with VLS. The control group consisted of 41 healthy women, and the study group consisted of 50 women aged 24-83 years with diagnosed vulvar lichen sclerosus who were hospitalized in the Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Gynaecologic Oncology of the Bonifraters Medical Centre in Katowice.

There were no significant differences in blood serum levels of CD-specific antibodies between both groups.

The study conducted did not confirm the association between vulvar lichen sclerosus and celiac disease or Duhring's disease. The main limitation of the research was the small size of the study and control groups. Further studies on a larger group of patients are needed. They could clarify the possible mechanisms behind the co-occurrence of these two conditions. Earlier diagnostic will help prevent the development of severe and irreversible complications.