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Vulvodynia

Jessica Johnson, MD, MPH Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Vulvar pain lasting 3 months or more; occurs in the absence of relevant visible findings, relevant lab abnormalities, or a clinically identifiable neurologic disorder

  • 2015 ISSVD (Inte...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Vulvodynia is a clinical diagnosis and it should be suspected in any women with chronic pain at the introitus and vulva.

  • Pain should be characterized using a standard measure such as the McGi...

TREATMENT

Treatment is mostly based on expert opinion; high-quality research is limited by lack of standardized treatment outcome measures  (6). Some experts prioritize non-pharmacologic therapies as ...

ONGOING CARE

PATIENT EDUCATION

Patients should be reassured that this condition is neither infectious, nor does it predispose to cancer (5)[C]. Counsel that condition is manageable, but likely not cur...

REFERENCES

1
Bornstein  J, Goldstein  AT, Stockdale  CK, et al. 2015 ISSVD, ISSWSH and IPPS consensus terminology and classification of persistent vulvar pain and vulvodynia. Ob...

ADDITIONAL READING

Goldstein AT, Pukall CF, Brown C, et al. Vulvodynia: Assessment and Treatment. J Sexual Med. 2016;13(4):572-590.  

CODES

ICD10

  • N94.819 Vulvodynia, unspecified

  • N94.818 Other vulvodynia

  • N94.810 Vulvar vestibulitis

SNOMED

  • 238968009 vulvodynia (disorder)

  • 30833006 vulvar vestibulitis (disorder)

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Vulvodynia is a clinical diagnosis; it should be suspected in any woman with chronic pain at the introitus and vulva.

  • A decrease in pain may take weeks to months and may not be complete...

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