Key clinical point: Among patients with lichen sclerosus, laser treatment is noninferior to steroid therapy after 6 months and may lead to better outcomes on various patient- and physician-reported measures.

Major finding: Average Skindex-29 scores from baseline to 6 months improved more in the laser treatment group, compared with the steroid group, for all health-related quality of life categories: overall, emotional, functional, and symptoms. More patients in the laser group than in the steroid group were satisfied or very satisfied with the results at 6 months (81% vs. 41%). Patients in the laser group were more likely to report that they were better or much better (89% vs. 62%), although the difference was not statistically significant.

Study details: A randomized controlled trial that included 52 postmenopausal women with biopsy-proven lichen sclerosus.

Disclosures: The researchers had no relevant financial disclosures.