Lipschütz ulcer: a diagnosis to remember in acute genital ulceration in adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v34.i2.34160Keywords:
adolescents, Lipschütz, ulcer, vagina, vulvaAbstract
Lipschütz ulcer (LU) is a rare cause of acute genital ulceration, usually in a mirror pattern, that mainly affects adolescents without previous sexual contact. The aetiology is unclear, but infectious and idiopathic causes have been associated with its onset. LU can cause significant pain but is self-limited and typically resolves within two to six weeks.
A case report of a 12-year-old girl with LU is presented, who was initially misdiagnosed with genital herpes. After excluding other causes of genital ulceration, she was ultimately diagnosed with LU and treated with medication to control the pain and promote healing. The patient recovered fully after five weeks and remained asymptomatic one year later.
LU is a rare cause of vaginal ulceration in non-sexually active adolescents that can be easily overlooked in the differential diagnosis. The disease is self-limited, but in some cases may require hospitalization for pain management.
Downloads
References
Schindler Leal AA, Piccinato CA, Beck APA, Gomes MTV, Podgaec S. Acute genital ulcers: keep Lipschütz ulcer in mind. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2018;298(5):927-31. Epub 2018/08/26. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4866-6. PubMed PMID: 30143859.
Vismara SA, Lava SAG, Kottanattu L, Simonetti GD, Zgraggen L, Clericetti CM, et al. Lipschütz’s acute vulvar ulcer: a systematic review. Eur J Pediatr. 2020;179(10):1559-67. Epub 2020/04/17. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-020-03647-y. PubMed PMID: 32296983.
Ueda Y, Kamiya K, Ohtsuki M. Reactive nonsexually related acute genital ulcers. J Gen Fam Med. 2018;19(1):30-1. Epub 2018/01/18. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jgf2.139. PubMed PMID: 29340264; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5763018.
Haidari G, MacMahon E, Tong CY, White JA. Genital ulcers: it is not always simplex …. Int J STD AIDS. 2015;26(1):72-3. Epub 2014/06/28. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0956462414541241. PubMed PMID: 24970475.
Delgado-García S, Palacios-Marqués A, Martínez-Escoriza JC, Martín-Bayón TA. Acute genital ulcers. BMJ Case Rep. 2014;2014. Epub 2014/01/30. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2013-202504. PubMed PMID: 24473429; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3912377.
Popatia S, Chiu YE. Vulvar aphthous ulcer after COVID-19 vaccination. Pediatr Dermatol. 2022;39(1):153-4. Epub 2021/12/11. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.14881. PubMed PMID: 34888935.
Vieira-Baptista P, Lima-Silva J, Beires J, Martinez-de-Oliveira J. Lipschütz ulcers: should we rethink this? An analysis of 33 cases. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016;198:149-52. Epub 2015/08/25. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2015.07.016. PubMed PMID: 26297242.
McKercher A, Aksoy T. Lipschutz Ulcer: A Rare Cause of Acute Genital Ulcers. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2018;40(8):1001. Epub 2017/07/16. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogc.2017.05.001. PubMed PMID: 28709766.
Arellano J, Fuentes E, Moreno P, Corredoira Y. [Ulcer of Lipschütz, a diagnosis to consider in the pediatric population]. Arch Argent Pediatr. 2019;117(3):e305-e8. Epub 2019/05/08. doi: https://doi.org/10.5546/aap.2019.e305. PubMed PMID: 31063323.
Farhi D, Wendling J, Molinari E, Raynal J, Carcelain G, Morand P, et al. Non-sexually related acute genital ulcers in 13 pubertal girls: a clinical and microbiological study. Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(1):38-45. Epub 2009/01/21. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/archdermatol.2008.519. PubMed PMID: 19153341.
Rosman IS, Berk DR, Bayliss SJ, White AJ, Merritt DF. Acute genital ulcers in nonsexually active young girls: case series, review of the literature, and evaluation and management recommendations. Pediatr Dermatol. 2012;29(2):147-53. Epub 2012/02/04. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1470.2011.01589.x. PubMed PMID: 22300420.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Margarida Camacho de Sampaio, Cátia Martins, Patrícia Pereira, Elsa Hipólito, Maria Manuel Flores
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in the Birth and Growth Medical Journal are Open Access and meet the requirements of funding agencies and academic institutions. Third-party use of published content is permitted under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license. It is the responsibility of authors to obtain permission for reproducing figures, tables, or other materials from previously published works.
Authors must submit a Conflict of Interest statement and an Authorship Form together with their manuscript. A confirmation email will be sent to the corresponding author upon receipt of the submission. Authors are also permitted to deposit their articles in institutional or personal repositories, provided that the original publication in the Birth and Growth Medical Journal is clearly indicated and the terms of the Creative Commons license are respected.
