[Treatment of nonneoplastic epithelial disorders of skin and mucosa of vulva with focused ultrasound].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of focused ultrasound for patients with white lesions of the vulva, as well as its safety and feasibility. METHODS: Clinical data of 941 patients with white lesions of the vulva treated with focused ultrasound from June 2003 to December 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 40.8 years (18 - 70 years) and the median course of the disease was 6.2 years (3 months - 45 years). Meanwhile, pathological diagnosis was performed in all the patients before treatment, in which 498 cases were squamous hyperplasia, 342 cases were lichen sclerosus and 101 cases were lichen sclerosus with squamous hyperplasia. Patients were followed up and therapeutic effects of focused ultrasound was evaluated at 6 and 12 months after the treatment, respectively. The symptoms of pruritus in the vulva and the changes in the color and elasticity of the vulvar lesions were observed. RESULTS: Of all the patients, 900 were followed up after the treatment, and the ratio of effectiveness was 94.9%. Only 46 patients (5.1%) had no response to the therapy. Of the effective patients, 434 cases were completely cured (48.2%), and 420 cases were improved (46.7%). Pruritus of vulva recurred in 101 patients (11.2%) one year after treatment; however, these patients still had a response to the second or third treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Focused ultrasound therapy is a highly effective instrument in treatment of white lesions of the vulva. It can not only relieve the symptoms of itching, but is also helpful in recovering the color and elasticity of the vulva.