Skin disorders affecting the vulva

The skin of the vulva constitutes a complex mixture of keratinized hairbearing skin of the labia majora and pubic area, the thinner rugeose but keratinized skin of the labia minora, and the adjacent vaginal introitus where the mucosal surface of the vagina begins. The surrounding buttock, natal cleft and inner thigh skin contribute to the relatively occluded microenvironment and high humidity. Skin disorders that can affect any part of the skin can appear slightly different in the vulval area; various disorders occur more frequently at ano-genital sites than elsewhere on the body.