Usefulness of video thermography in the evaluation of platelet-rich plasma effectiveness in vulvar lichen sclerosus: preliminary study

Abstract

Background

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic-relapsing and potentially serious skin disease that has a preference for genital skin. Currently, there is no standardized method for assessing the effects of therapies.

Objective

The objective of this preliminary study is to use video thermography (VTG) in the evaluation of vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) before and after platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

Methods

A sample of six female patients was enrolled. Patients were subjected to PRP treatment. Patients selected for the study had been assessed at baseline (T0) and after 7 and 30 d from PRP treatment (T1 and T2, respectively). Clinical and VTG evaluation was executed in every visit.

Results

The VTG examination showed at least one hypothermic area (HA) in all our patients. The average temperature measured in the vulvar and perineal region taken as a reference for each patient was found to be between 33.7 °C and 36.3 °C, with a fair difference between the patients. HAs showed thermal differences which varied between 2.2 °C and 1.2 °C.

Conclusions

It is demonstrated here that PRP offers satisfactory effectiveness in treating VLS and that video thermograpy could represent a useful paraclinic method in the identification and follow-up of LS.

Keywords:

• Vulvar lichen sclerosus
• PRP
• video thermography

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.