Vulvar dermatitis, often referred to as "vulvar eczema", is defined as an acute, subacute or chronic inflammatory intolerance reaction of the female genital skin due to damage of the epidermis by external noxious agents. It can be triggered by both irritative and immune mechanisms. Initially self-limited, it may become chronic if the cause or underlying disposition persists.
Vulvar dermatitis affects a topical "special region", namely a skin region with a particular texture and special functional properties that enable it to adapt to physiological regional features. The anatomy of the skin of the labia majora is characterized by a keratinizing squamous epithelium with abundant hair (pubic hair) and sebaceous, eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. The labia majora enclose the nonkeratinizing areas of the labia minora, orificium urethrae, clitoris, and introitus vaginae.
Vulvar dermatitides not infrequently have a chronic course with significant morbidity, usually characterized by multiple pretreatments of all types. Thus, diagnosis and therapy also represent a challenge for the treating physician. They often require interdisciplinary collaboration involving family physicians, gynecologists, and dermatologists. Frequently, it is the symptom "non-suppressible itching" that leads to physician consultations. Thus, 5-10% of all pruritus cases are related to the female genital area, which illustrates the general importance of these diseases.