What has changed about the perceived age distribution of vulvar lichen sclerosus?
What’s changed is the way vulvar lichen sclerosus is thought about by age. Here at Alloy, our information says it’s still most commonly diagnosed in postmenopausal women, but it can occur at any age. So the newer view is that it isn’t just an older, postmenopausal condition.
That matters because persistent vulvar itching in perimenopause or menopause can look like GSM or vaginal atrophy at first. As Dr. Corinne Menn explains in this chapter, if itching keeps going despite vaginal estrogen, it needs a careful vulvar exam to check for lichen sclerosus: Lichen sclerosus vs. GSM: recognizing persistent vulvar itching.
For a quick written overview, our article on vaginal itching and menopause notes that lichen sclerosus is most commonly diagnosed after menopause, though it can happen in women of any age.
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