Dermoscopic features of vulvar lichen sclerosus

Objective To investigate the dermoscopic features of vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) . Methods Seventeen patients with VLS, who visited the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between August 2015 and June 2017 and underwent dermoscopy and skin histopathological examination, were enrolled into this study. The dermoscopic images of 75 skin lesions were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results The common dermoscopic features in these VLS lesions included yellowish-white structureless areas (89.3%, 67/75) , reddish-violet globules or patches (77.3%, 58/75) , brownish or bluish-gray pigment structures (49%, 37/75) , shiny white streaks (40%, 30/75) , dotted vessels with irregular arrangement (28%, 21/75) , linear vessels (58.7%, 44/75) , hairpin-like vessels (6.7%, 5/75) , comma-like vessels (13%, 10/75) and branching vessels (20%, 15/75) . Under dermoscopy, rosette sign could be observed in 3 (4%) lesions, comedo-like openings in 3 (4%) lesions, and keratotic plugs in 1 (1%) lesions. Conclusion Under dermoscopy, VLS is characterized by yellowish-white structureless areas, reddish-violet globules or patches, pigment structures and vessels with various vessels. Key words: Vulvar lichen sclerosus; Dermoscopy; Pathologic processes