A Promising Treatment for Female Condition
Reported November 15, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire)— A treatment known as focused ultrasound appears to effectively help women who suffer from a vaginal condition. The treatment cured or improved the symptoms of vulvar dystrophy in nearly 95 percent of the women in a new study.
Investigators in China treated 76 women with focused ultrasound. After two years, all but four were either cured or had their symptoms improved. Minor side effects included swelling and redness for most patients. Researchers reported no serious side effects.
Researchers say the benefit of focused ultrasound is that it is noninvasive and can precisely target the intended area without damaging surrounding tissue. They suggest the ultrasound may work by accelerating tissue growth and reconstruction in the disease area.
Vulvar dystrophies are one of the most common groups of chronic skin diseases in women. Symptoms of vulvar dystrophy include white lesions on the vulva with intense itching and skin depigmentation. All of the standard treatments for the condition carry a high recurrence rate. These include hormone treatments, herbal medications, laser and microwave exposures, and surgery.
Investigators say more studies are needed to determine long-term effects.
SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2004;104:915-921
