Vulvodynia in Adolescence: Childhood Vulvar Pain Syndromes

Background: Children, adolescents and young women represent a unique group of patients with vulvodynia. Study Objective: To define and characterize vulvodynia, diagnostic criteria, causes and pathophysiology, propose treatment modalities, emphasizing its prevalence in young children, adolescents and young women less than 25 years of age. Design: Medline review of the literature on vulvar pain disorders, using the key word vulvodynia, from the years 1995 to 2010, comparing characteristics in children, adolescents and young women ages 25 years and less to older adult women. Setting: MEDLINE review of current literature from 1995 to 2010. Participants: None Interventions: There were no interventions during this literature review. Main outcome measures: A synthesis of cases of vulvodynia in these populations and the specific characteristics and recommendations in these age groups. Results: Childhood vulvar pain is usually found to have a cause. Pain characteristics in this group are similar to adults. In adolescents and young reproductive age women, vulvar pain is associated with sexual intercourse or early tampon use. The psychological component of vulvar pain is limited due to small numbers of patients available for review. Treatment modalities and recommendations are based on limited data. Conclusions: Women with vulvodynia vary in ages from 16 to 80 years with the majority between the ages of 20 to 50 years. Young women in their teens and early twenties are at the greatest risk of developing vulvodynia. Vulvar pain disorders are important in these groups because early pain syndromes may affect future development of body image, self-esteem, and attitudes toward sexual behavior and functioning.