Treatments for Lichen sclerosis

Treatment list for Lichen sclerosis: The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Lichen sclerosis includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

• Watchful waiting - often no treatment is needed for non-genital cases and symptoms may go away over time.
• Circumcision
• Ultrapotent topical corticosteroid
  • Betamethasone dipropionate clobetasol propionate
  • Diflorasone diacetate
  • Halobetasol propionate
  • Retinoids - when corticosteroids are not well tolerated.
  • Vitamin A-like medications
  • Testosterone ointment - once used, this treatment has been shown to have little benefit.
  • Progesterone - this has also been show to be ineffective.
• Dermatologists
• Gynecologists
• Urologists

Treatments of Lichen sclerosis discussion: Patients with lichen sclerosus of nongenital skin often do not need treatment because the symptoms are very mild and usually go away over time. (The amount of time involved varies from patient to patient.)

However, lichen sclerosus of the genital skin should be treated, even when it is not causing itching or pain, because it can lead to scarring that may narrow openings in the genital area and interfere with either urination or sexual intercourse or both. There is also a very small chance that cancer may develop.

In uncircumcised men, circumcision is the most widely used therapy for lichen sclerosus. This procedure removes the affected skin, and the disease usually does not recur.

Prescription medications are required to treat vulvar lichen sclerosus, nongenital lichen sclerosus that is causing symptoms, and lichen sclerosus of the penis that is not cured by circumcision. The treatment of choice is an ultrapotent topical corticosteroid. Daily use of these creams or ointments can stop itching within a few days and restore the skin's normal texture and strength after several months. However, treatment does not reverse the scarring that may have already occurred.

Because ultrapotent corticosteroid creams and ointments are very strong, frequent evaluation by a doctor is necessary to check the skin for side effects when the medication is used every day. Once the symptoms are gone and the skin has regained its strength, medication can be used less frequently, although use must continue indefinitely, several times a week, to keep vulvar lichen sclerosus in remission.

Young girls may not require lifelong treatment, since lichen sclerosus can sometimes, but not always, disappear permanently at puberty. Scarring and changes in skin color, however, may remain even after the symptoms have disappeared.

Because ultrapotent topical corticosteroids are so effective, other therapies are rarely prescribed. The previous standard therapy was testosterone ointment or cream, but this has recently been proven to produce no more benefit than a placebo (inactive) cream. Another hormone cream, progesterone, was previously used to treat the disease, but also has little beneficial effect. Retinoids, or vitamin A-like medications, may be helpful for patients who cannot tolerate or are not helped by ultrapotent topical corticosteroids.

Patients who need medication should ask their doctor how it works, what side effects it might have, and why it is the best treatment for lichen sclerosus.

For women and girls, surgery to remove the affected skin is not an acceptable option. Surgery may be useful for scarring, but only after lichen sclerosus is controlled with medication.

Sometimes, people do not respond to the ultrapotent topical corticosteroid. Other factors, such as low estrogen levels that cause vaginal dryness and soreness, a skin infection, or irritation or allergy to the medication, can keep symptoms from clearing up. Your doctor may need to treat these factors as well. If you feel that you are not improving as you would expect, talk to your doctor.

Can People With Lichen Sclerosus Have Sexual Intercourse?

Women with severe lichen sclerosus may not be able to have sexual intercourse because of pain or scarring that narrows the entrance to the vagina. However, proper treatment with an ultrapotent topical corticosteroid should restore normal sexual ability, unless severe scarring has already narrowed the vaginal opening. In this case, surgery may be needed to correct the problem, but only after the disease has been controlled.¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Questions and Answers About Lichen Sclerosis: NIAMS

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