Women describe years of symptoms before lichen sclerosus diagnosis

A BBC report is highlighting lichen sclerosus, a long-term inflammatory skin condition that can cause genital itching, soreness and skin tears, after two women described years of symptoms and delayed diagnosis.

Monica Thomas, 34, from Suffolk, said she was repeatedly treated for thrush before a biopsy led to her diagnosis. She told the BBC she had been examined 28 times in six months and was once left unable to walk because of the pain.

Thomas said embarrassment about intimate symptoms can make it harder to seek help. She also described distress after being given medication for herpes and being told she was too young to have lichen sclerosus. The condition can affect people of any age, although it is more common in women over 50, according to the report.

Dr Nighat Arif, a GP specialising in women’s health, said the condition can cause white patches as well as itching, soreness and splitting. It is not contagious. The cause is unknown, though the NHS says it may involve the immune system mistakenly attacking the skin. There is a small risk of vulval cancer.

Research into how common the condition is remains limited. A University of Bristol analysis estimated that about 1% of women in the West Midlands and Warwickshire were affected. Dr Sophie Rees, who helped conduct the research, said the estimate was likely to be low because diagnosis can be delayed and some people may never be diagnosed.

The BBC also reports the experience of Clare Baumhaeur, 53, from Kent, who said she had symptoms from childhood. She was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus and vulval cancer after a biopsy, following decades of symptoms. She has since had a cancer recurrence and further surgery. Baumhaeur believes an earlier diagnosis of lichen sclerosus might have meant her cancer was found sooner.

Thomas urged people with changes to their bodies to keep a record of symptoms and seek further medical opinions if they feel dismissed. The BBC report also advises discussing symptoms with a doctor and asking about referral to a specialist clinic. [1]