New insights into potential risk factors and associations in genital lichen sclerosus: Data from a multicentre Italian study on 729 consecutive cases

Background Limited data are available on risk factors associated with lichen sclerosus and no data are available on gender differences in genital lichen sclerosus (GLS). Objective This multicentre study aimed at identifying potential risk factors for GLS, through data collection from a large, mixed‐...

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Published in:	Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2017-04, Vol.31 (4), p.699-704
Main Authors:	Virgili, A., Borghi, A., Cazzaniga, S., Di Landro, A., Naldi, L., Minghetti, S., Verrone, A., Stroppiana, E., Caproni, M., Nasca, M.R., D'Antuono, A., Papini, M., Di Lernia, V., Corazza, M., Fierro, Maria Teresa, Verdelli, Alice, Micali, Giuseppe, Gaspari, Valeria, Natalini, Ylenia, Ficarelli, Elena, Germi, Lerica, Vassilopoulou, Angela, Schena, Donatella, Girolomoni, Giampiero, Fortina, Anna Belloni, Fontana, Elena, Guarneri, Fabrizio, Cannavò, Serafinella Patrizia, Bilenchi, Roberta, Venturini, Marina, Battarra, Vincenzo C., Ingordo, Vito
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adolescent Adult Age of Onset Aged Aged, 80 and over Child Comorbidity Cross-Sectional Studies Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology Educational Status Female Humans Hypertension - epidemiology Hypothyroidism - epidemiology Italy - epidemiology Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus - epidemiology Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus - genetics Male Middle Aged Obesity - epidemiology Penile Diseases - epidemiology Penile Diseases - genetics Risk Factors Sedentary Lifestyle Sex Factors Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus - epidemiology Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus - genetics Young Adult
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Summary:	Background Limited data are available on risk factors associated with lichen sclerosus and no data are available on gender differences in genital lichen sclerosus (GLS). Objective This multicentre study aimed at identifying potential risk factors for GLS, through data collection from a large, mixed‐sex sample of patients comparing gender‐related differences in relation to data from the general population. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study on 729 subjects (53.8% females, 46.2% males) affected with GLS, consecutively observed within a network of 15 Italian dermatology units. The following information was collected: demographic data, anthropometric measures, comorbidities, family history of LS, clinical features and symptoms related to GLS. Results Overweight and obesity, blood hypertension, hypothyroidism and an educational attainment equal or above upper secondary school level were more frequent among the study patients than among the general Italian population. Moreover, a family history of GLS was reported more frequently than expected among GLS patients. These factors were similar in males and females. The disease tended to occur later in females than in males. Conclusions Our findings suggest that metabolic factors, and possibly a sedentary lifestyle, may play a role in GLS pathogenesis in genetically predisposed patients, and that risk profile is similar in males and females despite some difference in the onset of symptoms.
ISSN:	0926-9959 1468-3083