{"id":3246,"date":"2021-12-08T14:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T14:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fusfoundation.org\/?post_type=sw_disease_condition&#038;p=3246"},"modified":"2026-03-13T11:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:22:13","slug":"vulvar-dystrophy","status":"publish","type":"sw_disease_condition","link":"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/diseases-and-conditions\/vulvar-dystrophy\/","title":{"rendered":"Vulvar Dystrophy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focused-ultrasound-therapy\">Focused Ultrasound Therapy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with treatment for non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of vulva, which is also referred to as vulvar dystrophy. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasonic energy precisely and accurately on targets in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many types of \u201cnon-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva\u201d, which is shortened to vulvar dystrophy. Two specific ones that have received significant focused ultrasound research are&nbsp;<a class=\"ek-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/diseases-and-conditions\/womens-health\/lichen-sclerosus\"><strong>Lichen Sclerosus<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/diseases-and-conditions\/womens-health\/hyperplasia-of-the-vulva\"><strong>Hypertrophy of the Vulva<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it Works<\/strong><br>Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces precise ablation (thermal destruction of tissue) enabling vulvar dystrophy to be treated without surgery. Further research will likely be needed prior to widespread availability of this technique.<br><br><strong>Advantages<\/strong><br>The primary options for treatment of vulvar dystrophy include medication and in some conditions surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive alternative to surgery with less risk of complications and lower cost. It&nbsp;protects and maintains the physiological functions and structure of the cervix. Focused ultrasound treatment is also an easy, out-patient procedure with no scars and a low recurrence rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clinical-trials\">Clinical Trials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/ct2\/show\/NCT02890277?term=NCT02890277&amp;rank=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>clinical trial in Shandong, China<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;for non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of vulva.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/ct2\/show\/NCT02890277?term=focused+ultrasound&amp;cond=Vulvar+Diseases&amp;rank=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>See a full list of vulvar dystrophy clinical trials &gt;<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-regulatory-approval-and-reimbursement\">Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focused ultrasound treatment for vulvar dystrophy is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-notable-papers\">Notable Papers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhang J, Li X, Chen M, Jiang B, Wu S, Hu W, Tao J, Xiao F, Xiao S.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/41381379\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Analysis of the clinical efficacy of HIFU in the treatment of low-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia<\/strong><\/a>. Int J Hyperthermia. 2025 Dec;42(1):2594037.\u00a0doi: 10.1080\/02656736.2025.2594037.\u00a0Epub\u00a02025 Dec 11. PMID: 41381379\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imseeh G, Giles SL, Taylor A, Brown MRD, Rivens I, Gordon-Williams R, Ter Haar G, deSouza NM.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33882792\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Feasibility of palliating recurrent gynecological tumors with MRGHIFU: comparison of symptom, quality-of-life, and imaging response in intra and extra-pelvic disease<\/strong><\/a>. Int J Hyperthermia. 2021;38(1):623-632. doi: 10.1080\/02656736.2021.1904154.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhang L, Lai Y, Wan T, Zhou B, Qiang X, Ge S, Zhang K, Mao Z.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32762229\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A randomized clinical study of the treatment of white lesions of the vulva with a fractional ultrapulsed CO2 laser<\/a><\/strong>. Ann Palliat Med. 2020 Jul;9(4):2229-2236. doi: 10.21037\/apm-20-1085.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Liu Y, Fan Y, Tang H, Li C.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32522460\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Therapeutic Effects of Focused Ultrasound on Expression of Notch1, C-Fos and Transforming Growth Factor-\u03b23 in Vulvar Skin of SD Rats with Vulvar Lichen Simplex Chronicus<\/strong><\/a>. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 Jun 7:S0301-5629(20)30196-4. doi: 10.1016\/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.04.025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruan L, Xie Z, Wang H, Jiang J, Shi H, Xu J.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/20153858\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>High-intensity focused ultrasound treatment for non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva<\/strong><\/a>. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2010 May;109(2):167-70. doi: 10.1016\/j.ijgo.2009.12.014. Epub 2010 Feb 13.<br><br>Sun X, Xue M, Deng X, Wan Y.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/20871157\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Clinical factors analysis of curative effect of focused ultrasound treatment for non neoplastic epithelial disorders of vulva<\/strong><\/a>. Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2010 Sep;35(9):933-9. doi: 10.3969\/j.issn.1672-7347.2010.09.006.<br><br>Li C, Bian D, Chen W, Zhao C, Yin N, Wang Z.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/15516378\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Focused ultrasound therapy of vulvar dystrophies: a feasibility study<\/strong><\/a>. Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Nov;104(5 Pt 1):915-21.<br><br>Li CZ, Wang ZB, Chen WZ, Bian DH, Cao YD, Zhao JW, Wen S, Tian YB, Li XJ.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/15312319\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>[Evaluation of white lesions of vulva treated with focused ultrasound]<\/strong><\/a>. Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 2004 Jun;39(6):373-7. Chinese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/?term=(%22focused+ultrasound%22+OR+HIFU)+and+%22vulvar+dystrophy%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a> for additional references from PubMed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"sw_disease_condition_cat":[28],"sw_disease_condition_stage":[20],"class_list":["post-3246","sw_disease_condition","type-sw_disease_condition","status-publish","hentry","sw_disease_condition_cat-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - 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