Influence of Chronic Skin Disease on Male Sexual Function: A Hospital-Based Study in Upper Egypt

Abstract

Purpose: Decrease of sexual function in many chronic diseases has recently attracted attention owing to its impact on quality of life. Many studies focused on erectile dysfunction in other specialties of medicine, but there are only few studies in dermatological diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the erectile function in males with psoriasis and vitiligo diseases in Upper Egypt. Methods: A total of 100 male patients with chronic dermatological diseases (psoriasis or vitiligo) and 100 healthy volunteers as control group were enrolled in this case-control study. All subjects completed the validated Arabic version of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire to assess male sexual function. Results: This study included 100 patients (70 with vitiligo and 30 with psoriasis), their age ranged from 23 to 50 years with mean ± SD 41.2 ± 6.3 and 100 healthy control their age ranged from 20 to 50 years with mean ± SD 38.1 ± 8.6. The mean IIEF score among psoriasis patients was 18.1 ± 5.7, and among vitiligo patients was 20.6 ± 2.8, while it was 22.4 ± 3.04 among controls. By comparing IIEF, there was significant decrease among patients (61%) versus control (22%) (p<0.0001). There was no statistical significant correlation between duration of the disease and IIEF score. Regarding the extent of the dermatological disease, there was significant negative correlation with IIEF score among psoriatic patients (P= 0.046), with no significant correlation among patients suffering from vitiligo. Conclusion: Sexual function is affected in males suffering from vitiligo and psoriasis vulgaris.