Vulvar Fordyce Adenitis: A Cohort of 45 Women
December 2021
in “
Annales De Dermatologie Et De Venereologie
”
TLDR Vulvar acne, also known as "vulvar Fordyce adenitis", is a condition causing painful bumps on the labia, and it's not always effectively treated with common acne medications, but isotretinoin has shown promise.
The study "Vulvar Fordyce adenitis: A cohort of 45 women" conducted from 2002 to 2018, investigated the clinical and pathological features of vulvar sebaceous adenitis, also known as vulvar acne. The condition, characterized by recurrent painful papules, pustules, or nodules, primarily on the labia minora and inner labia majora, was observed in 45 women aged 16 to 60, with a median diagnosis age of 36 years. Associated acne vulgaris was seen in 17 out of 26 patients for whom data were available. Hidradenitis suppurativa, androgenic alopecia, and hirsutism were observed in 3, 1, and 1 cases respectively. Treatment with tetracyclines and oral zinc was not consistently effective, but isotretinoin led to complete remission in 4 patients unresponsive to tetracyclines. The researchers suggest the term "vulvar Fordyce adenitis" for this condition and recommend further investigation into its relationship with acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa.
