Zeitschrift für Frauengesundheit
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A Dutch Cohort Study Confirms Familial Occurrence of Anogenital Lichen Sclerosus

G. Kirtschig and D. J. Kuik

Background: Lichen sclerosus is a chronic inflammatory disease mainly affecting the anogenital site chiefly in postmenopausal women with an increased risk of anogenital cancer. Its aetiology is unknown; evidence is accumulating that genetic factors increase the risk of LS in families.

Objective: To evaluate the familial occurrence of anogenital lichen sclerosus in a cohort of Dutch individuals with lichen sclerosus.

Method: To evaluate the familial occurrence of genital LS a questionnaire was given to individuals with confirmed LS attending an annual LS meeting asking for LS in family members with an option of a “certain”, “likely”, “not known”, “definitely not” diagnosis of LS.

Results: One hundred and seventeen of 170 individuals returned questionnaires with information on 555 relatives. Ten individuals (8.6%) stated that they had at least one family member with LS diagnosed by a physician. Thirty-five (30%) attendees had family members with possible LS. Anogenital cancer was reported by one individual and in 2 of the 10 families with familial LS (20%).

Conclusions: 8.6 % of patients with LS had family members with LS. Those families may be at increased risk of developing genital carcinoma in LS lesions.