Improvement in vulvar vestibulitis with montelukast

OBJECTIVE: To determine if montelukast treatment improves symptoms in patients with vulvar vestibulitis. STUDY DESIGN: We administered montelukast to a series of patients with vestibulitis seen at the Pennsylvania State University Vulvodynia Clinic over a period of 2.5 years. We reviewed outcomes using a scoring scheme to quantify signs and symptoms, before and after treatment, in 29 montelukast-treated subjects and 18 subjects in a comparison group treated with standard therapies. RESULTS: Subjects treated with montelukast showed an average of 52% in improvement in symptoms as compared to a 15% improvement in the controls (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Montelukast is a viable treatment option for women with vulvar vestibulitis. This finding implies that leukotrienes have a role in the pathophysiology of vulvar vestibulitis.