Vulval lumps and bumps

Author: Hon A/Prof Amanda Oakley, Dermatologist, Hamilton, New Zealand, May 2011.

Synonyms:

Vulval lesions

Categories:

Age site specific, Tumour, Viral infection

Subcategories:

Lesions of vulval skin, Lesions of vulval mucosa, Benign vulval lesions, Malignant vulval lesions, Melanocytic vulval lesions, keratinocytic vulval lesions, Blood vessel vulval lesions, Mesenchymal vulval lesions, Fibroblastic vulval lesions, Fatty tumours of the vulva, Smooth muscle tumours of the vulva, Skeletal muscle tumours of the vulva, Vulval tumours of nerve tissue, Viral vulval lumps/bumps

ICD-10:

N90.89, N94.89, A63.0, D28.9, C57, D28, D28.0, N90.7, N90.9

ICD-11:

2F33.Y, 2C70.Z, 2C70.Y, 1A95.1, GA13.3, GA03.1

SNOMED CT:

289474006, 289477004, 126922007, 92486005, 94143002, 363367000, 237109002, 60098005

The appearance of the vulva is highly variable (see Women's Health Victoria site, "the labia library".

Proliferative lesions affecting the vulva may originate from skin, mucosa or underlying connective tissue.

Skin lesions are mainly typical of those found elsewhere on the body, and are found on the outer aspects of the vulva, the labia majora, extending to the groin. They include benign (harmless) and malignant (cancerous) tumours. They are often classified according to cell of origin.

Cell type	Benign lesions	Malignant lesions
Melanocyte	Melanocytic naevus (mole) Often atypical: larger than in other sites, irregular in pigmentation, with flat and bumpy components	Melanoma
Keratinocyte	Perineal pyramidal protrusion Seborrhoeic keratosis Epidermal cyst Milium	Basal cell carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma in situ Invasive squamous cell carcinoma
Blood vessels	Cherry angioma Angiokeratoma Lymphatic malformation	Angiosarcoma Kaposi sarcoma
Mesenchymal origin	Superficial angiomyxoma Angiomyofibroblastoma Cellular angiofibroma Fibroepithelial polyp / skin tag Superficial myofibroblastoma	Extramammary Paget disease Adenocarcinoma Bartholin gland carcinoma Aggressive angiomyxoma
Fibroblast	Fibroma Dermatofibroma	Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
Fat (adipose tissue)	Lipoma	Liposarcoma
Smooth muscle	Leiomyoma	Leiomyosarcoma
Skeletal muscle	Rhabdomyoma	Rhabdomyosarcoma
Nerve tissue	Neurofibroma Granular cell tumour	Malignant schwannoma Merkel cell carcinoma

Viral infections may mimic lesions.

Mucosal lesions occur in the inner aspects of the vulva, where the tissue is nonkeratinised (ie, not scaly).

See smartphone apps to check your skin.
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Related information

DermNet NZ

Other websites

The labia Library – Women’s Health Victoria
Vulvovaginal Disorders: an algorithm for basic adult diagnosis and treatment — ISSVD

Books about skin diseases

Sponsored content: melanomas are notoriously difficult to discover and diagnose.

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