Differential diagnosis
Infections: urinary tract infection, candidiasis, herpes, HPV
Inflammation: lichen planus
Neoplasm: Pagets disease, vulvar carcinoma
Neurologic disorder: neuralgia secondary to herpes virus, spinal nerve injury

Treatment
There are a number of possible treatments with none being uniformly effective. Treatments include:

Lifestyle
A number of lifestyle changes are often recommended such as using cotton underwear, not using substances that may irritate the area, and using lubricant during sex. The use of alternative medicine has not been sufficiently studied to make recommendations. Counseling
Education and accurate information about vestibulodynia: Gynaecologist-led educational seminars delivered in a group format have a significant positive impact on psychological symptoms and sexual functioning in women who have provoked (caused by a stimulus such as touch or sexual activity) vestibulodynia. Provoked vestibulodynia, whilst similar in some respects, is different to vulvodynia which this article refers to. Biofeedback, physical therapy and relaxation: Biofeedback, often done by physical therapists, involves inserting a vaginal sensor to get a sense of the strength of the muscles and help a patient get greater control of her muscles to feel the difference between contraction and relaxation. Sessions are linked with at-home recommendations including often Kegel exercises (e.g., hold for 9 seconds, relax for 30 seconds, for 10–15 sets), and relaxation. Medications
A number of medications have been used to treat vulvodynia. Evidence to support their use, however, is often poor. These include creams and ointments containing lidocaine, estrogen or tricyclic antidepressants. Antidepressants and anticonvulsants in pill form are sometimes tried but have been poorly studied. Injectable medications included steroids and botulinum toxin have been tried with limited success.
Diagnosis
The condition is one of exclusion and other vulvovaginal problems should be ruled out. The diagnosis is based on the typical complaints of the patient, essentially normal physical findings, and the absence of identifiable causes per the differential diagnosis. Cotton swab testing is used to differentiate between generalized and localized pain and delineate the areas of pain and categorize their severity. Patients often will describe the touch of a cotton ball as extremely painful, like the scraping of a knife. A diagram of pain locations may be helpful in assessing the pain over time. The vagina should be examined, and tests, including wet mount, vaginal pH, fungal culture, and Gram stain, should be performed as indicated. Fungal culture may identify resistant strains.It is estimated that only half of affected women will seek medical help, among whom many will see several doctors before a correct diagnosis is made. Only 2% of the people that seek help do obtain a diagnostic. Many gynecologists are not familiar with this family of conditions, but awareness has spread with time. Affected women are also often hesitant to seek treatment for chronic vulvar pain, especially since many women begin experiencing symptoms around the same time they become sexually active. Moreover, the absence of any visible symptoms means that before being successfully diagnosed many patients have been told that the pain is "in their head" (a medical stance more associated with the 1970s than with modern medicine).