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 |
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Keratinocyte |
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Blood vessels |
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Mesenchymal origin |
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Fibroblast |
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Fat (adipose tissue) |
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Smooth muscle |
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Skeletal muscle |
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Nerve tissue |
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Viral infections may mimic lesions.
Mucosal lesions occur in the inner aspects of the vulva, where the tissue is nonkeratinised (ie, not scaly).
