title: Acquired vulvar lymphangioma: a case series with emphasis on expanding clinical contexts.
abstract: Vulvar lymphangioma circumscriptum (LC) is an unusual benign condition, congenital or acquired, related to interference in the lymph drainage. Acquired cases are usually related to oncological surgical procedures. We report 6 cases of vulvar LC: 3 have been caused by surgery and radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer, whereas the other 3 have originated under benign conditions--Crohn disease, recurring episodes of cellulits, and lower limb lymphedema. In 3 of them, the initial clinical diagnosis was genital wart. Surgical exeresis was performed as the treatment of choice in 5 patients and there were 3 cases of recurrences. Diagnosis of this unusual condition is not always easy even after histopathologic examination. The possibility of vulvar LC should be taken into account as a possible diagnosis in patients with previous oncological surgery or genital warts refractory to the conventional treatment. In these cases, a biopsy of not only the epidermis but also the superficial dermis is recommendable to rule out inflammatory or tumoral processes. Knowledge on the features of this lesion can avoid unnecessary clinical and therapeutic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.C.N), Clinical and University Hospital of Ourense, Alcalde Gregorio Espino, Vigo. Pontevedra Department of Pathology (J.M.S.P), Clinical Hospital and School of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela Department of Pathology (M.S.M.A, J.A.O.-R.), Clinical and University Hospital of Vigo, Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
authors.forename: Elba Carballo
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: José Manuel Suárez
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peñaranda
authors.forename: Mario San Martín
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Rey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000150:complications*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*