{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,14]],"date-time":"2025-12-14T10:39:42Z","timestamp":1765708782170,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,19]],"date-time":"2025-07-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752883200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":18,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Polska Agencja Bada\u0144 Medycznych","award":["grant No. 2023\/ABM\/01\/00020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["grant No. 2023\/ABM\/01\/00020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,27]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Paediatric vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic disease with distressing symptoms and severe consequences when left untreated. Majority of existing data on pathophysiology and treatment is based on studies conducted among adult patients. Whereas the course of VLS, its symptomatology and prognosis are distinct to some extent in paediatric and adolescent patients as compared with adults. The purpose of this scoping review is to systematically examine what symptoms of VLS are typical of paediatric and adolescent patients, how often specific signs and symptoms are reported in the literature, if there are differences between paediatric and adolescent patients and what could be the implication of such differences.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods and analysis<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review will adopt the methodology for Joanna Briggs Institute scoping reviews and will consider studies that include female patients aged 1\u201318, with VLS symptoms and signs with no exclusion based on ethnicity, comorbidity or previous history of treatment. Studies on any aspect of paediatric VLS, including pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, which included patients and reported patients\u2019 symptoms and signs, will be considered eligible. There will be no geographical or cultural limitation applied in relation to this scoping review. The search will include Embase, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Health Source, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science Principal Collection. A critical synthesis and results will be presented in the final review as tables and accompanying narrative summary.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Ethics and dissemination<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ethical approval is not required for this review. To date, no systematic approaches were undertaken to classify symptoms of the VLS that would aid in formulating disease severity criteria adequate for the paediatric population. We believe that the results of this review will facilitate the development of disease severity scales that could aid in intraindividual and interindividual comparability, both in real-life settings and clinical trials.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trial registration number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"uri\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17605\/OSF.IO\/FB9EG\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17605\/OSF.IO\/FB9EG<\/jats:ext-link>\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-102598","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]],"date-time":"2025-07-21T01:25:15Z","timestamp":1753061115000},"page":"e102598","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Signs and symptoms of vulval lichen sclerosus in children and adolescents: a scoping review protocol"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4254-0545","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Torres","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0451-4741","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewelina","family":"Grywalska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joanna","family":"Bartosi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Pediatric Dermatology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Cosmetology and Aesthetic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8369-6207","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanna","family":"Brodowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-5923-9629","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joanna","family":"Pycka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3985-0056","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alyssa","family":"Grimshaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3510-3945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alla","family":"Vash-Margita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpag.2021.09.008","article-title":"NASPAG Clinical Opinion: Diagnosis and Management of Lichen Sclerosis in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients","volume":"35","author":"Simms-Cendan","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1111\/pde.12615","article-title":"Pediatric Lichen Sclerosus: A Review of the Epidemiology and Treatment Options","volume":"32","author":"Tong","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pediatr Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1080\/13697137.2017.1343295","article-title":"Lichen sclerosus in women: a review","volume":"20","author":"P\u00e9rez-L\u00f3pez","year":"2017","journal-title":"Climacteric"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms232214212","article-title":"The Importance of Immunological Disorders in the Pathogenesis of Lichen Sclerosus in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review","volume":"23","author":"Torres","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2004-1544"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.6","first-page":"477","article-title":"Prevalence of vulvar lichen sclerosus in a general gynecology practice","volume":"50","author":"Goldstein","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Reprod Med"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijwd.2020.05.001","article-title":"Lichen sclerosus among women in the United States","volume":"6","author":"Melnick","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Womens Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1067\/mjd.2001.113474"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"753","DOI":"10.1111\/ced.13894","article-title":"Paediatric vulval lichen sclerosus: a retrospective study","volume":"44","author":"Ismail","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin Exp Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1097\/LGT.0000000000000584","article-title":"Characteristics Among Premenarchal Girls With Lichen Sclerosus","volume":"25","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Low Genit Tract Dis"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.12659\/AJCR.919353","article-title":"Hemorrhagic Bullous Lichen Sclerosus: A Case Report","volume":"21","author":"Khatib","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Case Rep"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1097\/LGT.0000000000000361","article-title":"Development of the Adult Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus Severity Scale-A Delphi Consensus Exercise for Item Generation","volume":"22","author":"Sheinis","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Low Genit Tract Dis"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/dth.14773","article-title":"Proposition of a severity scale for lichen sclerosus: The \u201cClinical Lichen Sclerosus Score\u201d","volume":"34","author":"Erni","year":"2021","journal-title":"Dermatol Ther"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18137153","article-title":"Pediatric Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus-A Review of the Literature","volume":"18","author":"Orszulak","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.4103\/ijstd.IJSTD_23_19","article-title":"Genital lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in females: An update","volume":"40","author":"Marfatia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Indian J Sex Transm Dis"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2133.1991.tb00626.x"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1061","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2015.0643","article-title":"Long-term Management of Adult Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Prospective Cohort Study of 507 Women","volume":"151","author":"Lee","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.18","article-title":"Topical interventions for genital lichen sclerosus","volume":"2011","author":"Chi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e81","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.13740","article-title":"Evidence\u2010based (S3) Guideline on (anogenital) Lichen sclerosus","volume":"31","author":"Kirtschig","year":"2017","journal-title":"Acad Dermatol Venereol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.20","first-page":"231","article-title":"Paediatric lichen sclerosus: a systematic review of 4516 cases","volume":"182","author":"Balakirski","year":"2020","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1111\/pde.14967","article-title":"Comparison of lichen sclerosus in boys and girls: A systematic literature review of epidemiology, symptoms, genetic background, risk factors, treatment, and prognosis","volume":"39","author":"Kumar","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pediatr Dermatol"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/XEB.0000000000000050"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.23","unstructured":"Peters MD , Godfrey CM , McInerney P , et al . Methodology for jbi scoping reviews. In: The Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers\u2019 Manual 2015. 2015: 1\u201324."},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7326\/M18-0850"},{"key":"2025121402370643000_15.7.e102598.25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12874-017-0459-5","article-title":"A scoping review of comparisons between abstracts and full reports in primary biomedical research","volume":"17","author":"Li","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Med Res Methodol"}],"container-title":["BMJ Open"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-102598","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,14]],"date-time":"2025-12-14T10:37:15Z","timestamp":1765708635000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-102598"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-102598"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-102598","relation":{},"ISSN":["2044-6055","2044-6055"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"2044-6055"},{"type":"electronic","value":"2044-6055"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7]]}}}