Vulvit - symptoms and causes of pathology

Vulvit is the inflammatory process in the area of ​​the external genitalia. If the patient develops vulvitis - the symptoms of the disease most often occur after mechanical damage, exposure to chemicals or infectious agents. The causes of vulvitis can be inflammatory.

Most often this pathology develops on the background of colpitis or with endocervicitis - primary, isolated vulvitis in adult patients is very rare. Primary vulvitis is often recorded among girls and elderly women, which can be related to the anatomical and physiological features of the mucosa in these age categories - the reason for the development of such changes is the low level of female sex hormones.

Vulvitis during pregnancy often develops when staphylococcal, fungal or staphylococcal infection is activated against a background of reduced immunity - significant hormonal and functional changes that are characteristic of the female body during the period of gestation, facilitate penetration into the thickness of the mucosa of the external genital organs for specific and nonspecific pathogens. Vulvitis in a child can manifest itself with helminthic lesions( in 40% of cases vulvitis in childhood develops with enterobiasis).

The reasons may also be poor hygiene, when the vulvar inflammation is provoked by the E. coli, as well as the presence of a viral infection that was transmitted to the child from the mother at birth. Bacterial vulvitis is often caused by gonococci, chlamydia, as well as Trichomonas, in rare cases - Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It should be remembered that there are a number of factors that alone do not cause vulvitis, but contribute to its development:

• diabetes mellitus;
• hypovitaminosis;
• overweight;
• mechanical, chemical and thermal irritation;
• non-observance of hygiene of a sexual life;
• allergy to intimate hygiene products;
• synthetic underwear.

The main types of vulvitis

Depending on the etiological factor distinguish candidal vulvitis( caused by fungi) and vulvitis of bacterial origin. Depending on the pathological changes in the mucous membrane of the genitalia, the following vulvitis is distinguished:

• atrophic vulvitis - characterized by thinning of the mucous membrane of the external genitalia, most often develops in women after menopause. Such a disease without adequate hormone replacement therapy tends to progress steadily and can cause the formation of painful erosions;
• damage to the mucosa of the genitals, which is manifested by the formation of plaque, when it is removed ulcers are formed - ulcerous vulvitis. This variant of the disease is most often found in women who are in active reproductive age;
• in children with metabolic disorders can occur synechia( adhesion) of the labia minora, which are manifested by their adhesion, so this pathology is also called adherent vulvitis. This type of disease is often detected by accidental examination. In most cases, there are no subjective sensations, and self-healing passes during puberty, although with coarse adhesive process, operative dissection of the labia minora can be performed.

The vulvitis clinic

Symptoms of vulvitis depend on the nature of the course of the disease. So, with acute vulvitis, there is an unbearable burning sensation, which is intensified when walking and urinating. Subsequently, there is pronounced itching, hyperemia and mucosal edema, a purulent-fibrous plaque appears.

There is often an increase in lymph nodes in the groin area. There may also be pain in the lower abdomen or in the lumbosacral region, and with the spread of infection on the urethra, there is often concomitant urethritis and cystitis.

Chronic vulvitis is characterized by the subsidence of the pain syndrome, with the appearance of purulent discharge from the genital tract, as the pathological process passes to the internal genitalia. Symptoms of Candida vulvitis include the appearance of severe itching and burning, increased sensitivity of the mucosa to water and the appearance of "milk" plaques with a characteristic odor and appearance.

It should be noted that this pathology is also registered in men. In this case, vulvitis in men in most cases is manifested only by local signs of mucosal damage.

Drug Therapy

Treatment of vulvitis includes careful personal hygiene with the use of chamomile. When bacterial, parasitic or fungal origin of the disease, patients are prescribed appropriate drugs, often in the form of ointments for external use. With pronounced itching, solutions of anesthetics can be prescribed.

Girls should be treated with vulvitis after receiving the results of inoculation with pathogenic microorganisms. It is necessary to sanitize other foci of infection in the body, take vitamins to enhance immunity, as well as eubiotics that restore normal microflora. Treatment of both adults and children should be carried out only by the appointment of a gynecologist at the first symptoms of vulvitis.