The aim of the study od MD Anu Aalto was to collect and analyze retrospective data on all women diagnosed and treated for vulvodynia at Tampere University Hospital (TAUH) in 2003–2013.
Among the 133 patients, symptom correlation with demographic variables, the efficacy of treatments after follow-up, and the patients’ satisfaction with treatments and different professionals were analyzed. Also, a subgroup of vulvodynia patients treated surgically at TAUH in 2003–2016 was identified.
Efficacy and quality of life (QoL) were compared between the surgical and non-surgical treatment protocols. In order to evaluate the etiology of LPV the patients’ vestibulectomy samples (n=12) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and compared to the vulvar samples from healthy controls (n=15). Different subtypes of estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and inflammatory T-cells (CD3) were analyzed. Finally, the microbiomes of patients suffering from LPV (n=30) with those in healthy controls (n=20), using swabs collected prospectively from the vulvar vestibulum.
To summarize, combining different treatment modalities, and age under 30 years predicted better outcome in terms of pain control in vulvodynia patients. Short-term QoL was better and self-reported pain was lower after surgical treatment.
However, this benefit was not maintained after a follow-up period of three years. Furthermore, LPV patients showed differential vulvar expression of ERRß as well as dissimilarities in the vulvar microbiome when compared with controls, suggesting possible hormonal and inflammation-related factors in the etiology of LPV.
The doctoral dissertation of MD Anu Aalto in the field of obstetrics and gynecology titled Vulvodynia, etiology, therapeutic options and impact on quality of life will be publicly examined in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University starting at 12 o'clock on Friday 4 September in Arvo Building Jarmo Visakorpi auditorium, Arvo Ylpönkatu 34. The opponent will be docent Pekka Nieminen from University of Helsinki. Professor emerita Johanna Mäenpää will act as the Custos.
It is possible to follow the event via a remote connection,
meeting ID: 646 9620 6120
The dissertation is available online at
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1625-9
Photo: Vilja Vuolle