ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether evaluation and treatment of hyperoxaluria in vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) is justified. STUDY DESIGN: Forty women (mean age, 24.5 years; range, 18-35) diagnosed with VVS at a sex therapy clinic participated. Diagnosis of VVS relied upon Friedrich's criteria: (1) severe vulvar vestibular pain upon touch or attempted vaginal entry, (2) tenderness to pressure localized within the vulvar vestibule, and (3) physical findings confined to vulvar erythema of various degrees. Oxalate was measured in 24-hour urine samples. Women with hyperoxaluria (urine oxalate >50 mg/24 h) were placed on a low-oxalate diet and oral calcium citrate as single therapy and reevaluated 3 months later. RESULTS: Hyperoxaluria was diagnosed in 7 women (17.5%), of whom 1 demonstrated an objective improvement and could have pain-free vaginal intercourse following treatment, yielding a 2.5% benefit from the evaluation and treatment of hyperoxaluria. CONCLUSION: There is no justification for evaluation and treatment of hyperoxaluria in women with VVS due to its low yield and economic burden.
Subject(s)
Hyperoxaluria/etiology , Vulvar Diseases/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Calcium Citrate/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Hyperoxaluria/diagnosis , Hyperoxaluria/drug therapy , Pain/prevention & control , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) is a diverse, multifactorial phenomenon. Its precise etiology is unknown. AIM: To define the association between oral contraceptive (OC) estrogen dosage and VVS. Methods. Women diagnosed as having VVS participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on type and usage of oral contraceptive pills (OC) were obtained by a questionnaire, and they were compared for the data on OC usage in the general population. RESULTS: Available commercial data on Israeli women taking OC showed that 51% of them use low-dose estrogen (