Bretschneider Carol Emi, Share Sarah M, Paraiso Marie Fidela R
Robert J Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Department of Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg. 2018 Jul-Aug;24(4):e6-e8. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000000553.
Severe labial agglutination can be refractory to outpatient management and can lead to voiding dysfunction in postmenopausal women. Labial agglutination is often a sequela of long-standing inflammatory processes, which include untreated lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, and atrophic vaginitis.
An 82-year-old parous woman presented with severe labial agglutination and complete obstruction of her vaginal introitus, causing obstructive voiding symptoms. She underwent a surgical procedure to release the fused labia. Pathologic evaluation of a vulvar biopsy revealed nephrogenic adenoma, which is an uncommon benign lesion usually presenting in the urinary tract.
Refractory, severe labial agglutination in postmenopausal women can lead to significant voiding dysfunction, and the underlying chronic inflammation may result in pathologic changes such as nephrogenic adenoma. Pathologic tissue diagnosis is important to plan appropriate surveillance for patients with this chronic condition.