Clinico-etiological study of genital lesions at a tertiary care center in Pune, India

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Disorders affecting the genitalia are a global health problem of significant magnitude. They comprise conditions which may or may not be sexually transmitted. Often it becomes impossible to make a reliable etiological diagnosis on clinical grounds alone. There is a paucity of data about the burden and pattern of genital disorders in our setting. This study was undertaken to identify the prevalent trends and clinic-etiological profile of genital lesions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>100 consecutive cases presenting with genital disorders to dermatology OPD of Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, India from June 2019 to March 2020, were enrolled in this observational, cross sectional study. Patients were subjected to thorough history, clinical examination and requisite microbiological and serological investigations. Etiological diagnosis was reached after correlation of history, clinical findings and investigations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>100 patients comprised 70 males and 30 females. Age group ranged from 2 months to 75 years (mean 37.8 years). Majority of patients belonged to 21-30 years age group. Total 78% patients had (STI) while 22% had non-STI. 13% were HIV sero-positive. 12% patients were diabetic. In 54% cases, microbiological findings confirmed the clinical diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study emphasizes that sexually transmitted infections continue to be a prominent cause of genital lesions, particularly in young sexually active individuals. However, various non-venereal dermatological disorders may manifest on the genitalia at any age, leading to diagnostic difficulty. A meticulous clinical examination supported by appropriate laboratory evaluation is the key to distinguish venereal and non-venereal dermatoses.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>