Acute genital ulcer in adolescent: clinical case

Acute genital ulcer, also known as Lipschütz ulcer, is an uncommon, non-sexually transmitted condition characterized by the rapid onset of a necrotic and painful ulcer in the vulvar region. It occurs in adolescents and young women, with or without sexual activity. It may be preceded by influenza-like or mononucleosis-like symptoms. Acute genital ulcers have been associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection or other viral or bacterial infections. However, in most cases, the cause is not determined. We report the clinical case of an 11-year-old girl without previous vaginal or oral ulceration without sexual contact who sought medical assistance with a rapidly progressive vulvar ulcer wich had started six days before, preceded by episodic low fever. The exclusion of infectious causes, the spontaneous healing of the lesion and the indeterminate serology for Epstein-Barr led to the diagnosis of ulcer of Lipschütz.