The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Lichen sclerosis includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Lichen sclerosis may include:
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Lichen sclerosis:
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
The following are some of the latest treatments for Lichen sclerosis:
However, lichen sclerosus of the genital skin should be treated, even when it is not causing itching or pain, because it can lead to scarring that may narrow openings in the genital area and interfere with either urination or sexual intercourse or both. There is also a very small chance that cancer may develop.
In uncircumcised men, circumcision is the most widely used therapy for lichen sclerosus. This procedure removes the affected skin, and the disease usually does not recur.
Prescription medications are required to treat vulvar lichen sclerosus, nongenital lichen sclerosus that is causing symptoms, and lichen sclerosus of the penis that is not cured by circumcision. The treatment of choice is an ultrapotent topical corticosteroid. Daily use of these creams or ointments can stop itching within a few days and restore the skin's normal texture and strength after several months. However, treatment does not reverse the scarring that may have already occurred.
Because ultrapotent corticosteroid creams and ointments are very strong, frequent evaluation by a doctor is necessary to check the skin for side effects when the medication is used every day. Once the symptoms are gone and the skin has regained its strength, medication can be used less frequently, although use must continue indefinitely, several times a week, to keep vulvar lichen sclerosus in remission.
Ultrapotent CorticosteroidsAvailable by Prescription in the United States
|
Young girls may not require lifelong treatment, since lichen sclerosus can sometimes, but not always, disappear permanently at puberty. Scarring and changes in skin color, however, may remain even after the symptoms have disappeared.
Because ultrapotent topical corticosteroids are so effective, other therapies are rarely prescribed. The previous standard therapy was testosterone ointment or cream, but this has recently been proven to produce no more benefit than a placebo (inactive) cream. Another hormone cream, progesterone, was previously used to treat the disease, but also has little beneficial effect. Retinoids, or vitamin A-like medications, may be helpful for patients who cannot tolerate or are not helped by ultrapotent topical corticosteroids.
Patients who need medication should ask their doctor how it works, what side effects it might have, and why it is the best treatment for lichen sclerosus.
For women and girls, surgery to remove the affected skin is not an acceptable option. Surgery may be useful for scarring, but only after lichen sclerosus is controlled with medication.
Sometimes, people do not respond to the ultrapotent topical corticosteroid. Other factors, such as low estrogen levels that cause vaginal dryness and soreness, a skin infection, or irritation or allergy to the medication, can keep symptoms from clearing up. Your doctor may need to treat these factors as well. If you feel that you are not improving as you would expect, talk to your doctor.
Women with severe lichen sclerosus may not be able to have sexual intercourse because of pain or scarring that narrows the entrance to the vagina. However, proper treatment with an ultrapotent topical corticosteroid should restore normal sexual ability, unless severe scarring has already narrowed the vaginal opening. In this case, surgery may be needed to correct the problem, but only after the disease has been controlled. (Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers About Lichen Sclerosis: NIAMS)
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Lichen sclerosis.
Treatment is essentially symptomatic. The goal of therapy is to relieve itching with topical fluorinated steroids and occlusive dressings, intralesional injections of steroids, oatmeal baths, and antihistamines. Erosive oral lesions should be treated with triamcinolone acetonide in Orabase twice daily. Generalized severely pruritic skin lesions may be treated with systemic corticosteroids. An initial dosage of oral prednisone may be prescribed; thereafter, the dosage is decreased by approximately one-third each week. If the patient experiences a recurrence of itching after the drug is discontinued, he’ll be given a low dose every other morning. If a drug is suspected as the cause, it should be discontinued.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2010 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 8 February, 2010 (23:08)
"I authorize the release of any medical or other information necessary to process this claim." Do you recognize these words? You should, if...
Whenever you go to a hospital or clinic for a major procedure or diagnostic test, one of the many forms you are given to sign is an "informed...
Stress takes its toll by making us anxious, depressed and not able to function as fully as we'd like. What many don't know is that stress can...
Sleep is necessary to feel refreshed, but now we know sleep actually impacts the way the body functions. Sleeping poorly can affect how often you get...
