• Overview
• Common misdiagnoses
• Similar disorders

What is LS?

Lichen sclerosus (aka lichen sclerosis or lichen sclerosis et atrophicus) is a painful skin condition that typically affects the vulva (or penis) and anus. In women, LS falls under the general category of vulvodynia (chronic vulvar pain).  It is not a contagious condition.

Some researchers believe that LS may be associated with an increased risk of developing vulval or penile cancer.
 

The symptoms of LS are thinning skin, white patches of skin, itching and/or burning, painful sexual intercourse, and sores or lesions resulting from scratching.  If left untreated, LS can result in fusing of the skin, atrophy, and narrowing of the vagina.  A more detailed description is provided here.

Please note that all of these symptoms may not be present.  Some women do not experience itching, for example -- only pain.
 

The most common sufferers of LS are post-menopausal women, although the disease can strike women of any age -- including young girls.  In addition, there are many known cases of men and boys diagnosed with LS.

The most common misdiagnosis for lichen sclerosus is a yeast infection.  Other misdiagnoses include herpes or a bacteria infection.  In children, the symptoms of LS are sometimes mistakenly identified as signs of sexual abuse.

Generally, a biopsy from the affected area can help determine whether your condition is indeed LS.  Unfortunately, some sufferers have gone as long as twenty years without proper diagnosis.

For some time, it was thought that lichen sclerosus was a form of lichen planus.  However, there are now clear indicators that the two conditions are different from one another.

Next page:  Possible Causes.
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