Psychological characteristics and outcome of patients attending a clinic for vulval disease

Aim To describe the characteristics of consecutive attenders at a specialist clinic for vulval skin diseases and to determine their medical, psychological and social outcome. Subjects Consecutive attenders at a specialist dermatology clinic. Measures Systematic recording of medical data, standard psychometric assessment and semi-structured interview. Results Patients generally described their symptoms as distressing and disabling and were very considerable users of medical care, with which they were mainly dissatisfied, At follow up a substantial proportion of patients reported improvement in their physical and psychological symptoms and there was general satisfaction with having attended a clinic with special and sympathetic interest. Conclusions Assessment and treatment by a sympathetic doctor with a special interest in vulval diseases was found to be helpful by most subjects whatever the physical outcome. Satisfaction was in contrast to their long histories of symptoms and generally unsatisfactory consultation with doctors. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.