Acquired vulvar lymphangiomatosis after cancer therapy

Abstract

Acquired or secondary lymphangioma (lymphangiectasis) are benign cutaneous disorders. These rare clinical entities have been reported as a consequence of lymphatic damage w1,2x, and are due to the obstruction of lymphatic vessels in the involved body part. Secondary vulvar lymphangiomas have been reported years after radiation and surgical therapy for cervical carcinoma. Local surgery, scrofuloderma, and Crohn disease may also damage vulvar lymphatic flow and lead to the development of vulvar lymphangiomas. We present two cases of acquired vulvar lymphangiomas that were detected in the follow-up period after surgery and radiotherapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. In one case, a 69-year-old woman was referred to our clinic for skin lesions of the vulva. She had been treated with radical gynecologic surgery and had postoperative radiotherapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma 10 years before. The lesions appeared on the vulva 8 years after therapy and gradually spread to the perineum. On clinical