by Dr. Elizabeth Poynor.

The vulva refers to the external female genitalia, which includes the labia, the opening of the vagina, the clitoris, and the space between the vagina and anus. Because these areas are not sun exposed, it is not generally recognized by women that melanoma can develop in this location. Lesions such as moles and freckles, referred to as pigmented lesions, occur on the vulva of 10% to 12% of women. It is not uncommon for women to have typical moles in the vulvar region, and as with other typical moles, most of these are benign and can cause no further problems. However, it is important that women are aware that moles can exist on the vulva and some of these may have premalignant or malignant changes in them, just like other parts of the body. Women should be aware that the change in any mole such as a change in color or size should always be brought to the attention of their gynecologist and evaluated.

Other benign pigmented lesions include lentigines , also known as freckles; melanosis, the accumulation of pigment deposits; post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation, a collection of pigment in reaction to trauma and other skin conditions; seborrheic keratoses; hemangiomas, and warts.

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3 Comments

July 8, 2009 2:33 PM

[0+]  kahri said:

Thanks for posting this!

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July 8, 2009 3:16 PM

[0+]  kahri said:

Thanks for posting this!

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July 8, 2009 5:20 PM

[0+]  Anathema said:

I didnt even think to keep an eye on that area, thank you very much.

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