{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T11:54:13Z","timestamp":1785153253500,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763596800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is an uncommon yet increasingly relevant malignancy characterized by two distinct etiopathogenetic pathways: HPV-associated and HPV-independent. Data from Eastern Europe remain scarce, where demographic and diagnostic variability may influence disease presentation and outcomes. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the epidemiologic characteristics, HPV status, surgical management, and postoperative morbidity of VSCC in a Romanian single-center cohort, providing real-world evidence from an underrepresented region. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all 35 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) diagnosed and treated between January 2017 and December 2024 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Craiova, Romania. Demographic, histopathologic, and surgical data were reviewed. HPV genotyping was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue using PCR-based methods. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 31.4% of cases, predominantly genotypes 16, 18, and 33. HPV-positive patients were significantly younger than HPV-negative ones (median 58 vs. 72.5 years, p &lt; 0.001), supporting the dual-pathway model of carcinogenesis. Early postoperative complications occurred in 65.7% of patients and late morbidity in 71.4%, secondary lymphedema. Surgical radicality was not significantly associated with early complications or length of hospitalization. Conclusions: This study highlights the epidemiologic and surgical patterns of VSCC in an Eastern European population, showing that conservative surgical strategies can maintain oncologic safety while reducing morbidity. These findings emphasize the need for standardized HPV testing, optimized perioperative care, and improved surveillance programs to enhance outcomes and survivorship.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life15111781","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T12:02:42Z","timestamp":1763640162000},"page":"1781","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis of Epidemiologic Characteristics, HPV Status, and Surgical Outcomes in 35 Cases"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Daniela","family":"Marinescu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Emergency County Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-5822-8805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lauren\u021biu Augustus","family":"Barbu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Railway Clinical Hospital Craiova, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tiberiu Stef\u0103ni\u021b\u0103","family":"\u021aenea Cojan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Railway Clinical Hospital Craiova, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1079-3908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u0218tefania","family":"Tudorache","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7823-3387","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominic","family":"Iliescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R\u0103zvan Alexandru","family":"Marinescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2358-7866","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucian George","family":"Zoril\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2648-5408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valeriu","family":"\u0218urlin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Emergency County Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 2 Petru Rares Street, 200349 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.13881","article-title":"Cancer of the vulva: 2021 update","volume":"155","author":"Olawaiye","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. 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