Comparison of the efficacy of focused ultrasound at different focal depths in treating vulvar lichen sclerosus

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of focused ultrasound (FU) at different focal depths in treating vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS).

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 84 patients with VLS. Among them, 43 cases were treated with FU at a focal depth of 2.5 mm and 41 cases at a focal depth of 4.0 mm. Therapeutic time, treatment energy, postoperative efficacy, complications and recurrence rates were compared.

Results

No statistically substantially differences in age, disease course, history of immune system diseases, lesion size and severity of symptoms were found between the two groups. All patients successfully received FU therapy. No significant difference in curative rate was observed between the two groups at 3, 6 and 12 months after FU therapy. At 12 months after FU therapy, the recurrence rate of the experimental group (FU treatment at 2.5 mm focal depth) was lower than the control group (FU treatment at 4.0 mm focal depth) (7.0% vs 24.4%, p = 0.027). The experimental group was treated for a shorter period of time [22.69 ± 0.64 (min) vs 24.93 ± 0.72(min), p = 0.022] and at a lower dose[5,026.05 ± 148.00(J) vs 5,484.26 ± 160.60(J) p = 0.039].

Conclusion

Compared with that at the routine focal depth (4.0 mm), FU therapy at a low treatment depth (2.5 mm) can achieve a similar therapeutic effect but lower recurrence rate, therapeutic time and treatment energy. This work provides insight into the optimization of clinical protocols.

Keywords:

• Vulvar lichen sclerosus
• focused ultrasound
• efficacy
• treatment
• recurrence

Ethical approval

Our research fully complied with experimental ethics and had been approved by the ethics committee of Chongqing Haifu Hospital. (Approved protocol number: 2022-008, Date of approval: August 1, 2022). We fully complied with the ICMJE requirements on privacy and informed consent from patients and study participants.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the staff in Chongqing Haifu Hospital for their support in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author (s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.