Vulval lumps and bumps

Lesions affecting the vulva may originate from skin, mucosa or underlying connective tissue. They are mostly uncommon.

Skin lesions are mainly typical of those found elsewhere on the body, and are found on the outer aspects of the vulva, the labia majora, extending to the groin. They include benign (harmless) and malignant (cancerous) tumours. They are often classified according to cell of origin.

Cell type	Benign lesions	Malignant lesions
Melanocyte	Melanocytic naevus (mole) Often atypical: larger than in other sites, irregular in pigmentation, with flat and bumpy components	Melanoma
Keratinocyte	Seborrhoeic keratosis Epidermal cyst	Basal cell carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen disease) Invasive squamous cell carcinoma
Blood vessels	Cherry angioma Angiokeratoma Lymphatic malformation
Mesenchymal origin	Superficial angiomyxoma Angiomyofibroblastoma Cellular angiofibroma Fibroepithelial polyp / skin tag Superficial myofibroblastoma	Aggressive angiomyxoma
Fibroblast	Fibroma Dermatofibroma	Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
Fat (adipose tissue)	Lipoma	Liposarcoma
Smooth muscle	Leiomyoma	Leiomyosarcoma
Skeletal muscle	Rhabdomyoma	Rhabdomyosarcoma
Nerve tissue	Neurofibroma Granular cell tumour

Viral infections may mimic lesions.

Mucosal lesions occur in the inner aspects of the vulva, where the tissue is nonkeratinised (scaly).

Bartholin cyst
Hidrocystadenoma papilliferum
Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)
Squamous cell carcinoma

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Vulval lumps and bumps