Histopathological spectrum of vulvar lesions on a remote Indian Island

Abstract

A wide spectrum of normal, benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions may occur on the vulva. Symptoms of vulvar disorders may be non-specific. Empiric treatment of vulvovaginal symptoms is common but usually not helpful. Though the varied clinical presentation and diverse histopathological spectrum of vulvar lesions have amazed Pathologists, only a few studies have been reported in the literature. The present study consists of a histopathological spectrum of vulvar lesions. 1.To evaluate the histopathological spectrum of vulvar lesions. 2. To compare the incidences of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the vulva. Present study includes all types of vulvar lesion specimens received in the Department of pathology over a period of four years.    All thirty-nine vulvar biopsies received in the Department of Pathology were studied for histomorphologic features. The lesions were categorized as non-neoplastic, neoplastic. The neoplastic ones were further divided into benign, malignant, and premalignant. The age of the women ranged from 15 to 69 years (mean 36.18±12.71) with the maximum number of patients between 30 to 40 years of age. Non neoplastic lesions were more common (22; 56.4%) than the (17; 43.6%) neoplastic lesions. There were 15(38.5%) benign lesions while 2 cases (5.13%) were malignant. Among the non-neoplastic lesions, Bartholin's duct cyst was the most common histopathologic diagnosis (35.9%). The fibroepithelial polyp was the most common benign neoplastic lesion constituting 15.3%.  In the present study nonneoplastic lesions were more common than neoplastic lesions. Among the neoplastic lesions, benign neoplasms were more frequent than malignant lesions.