title: Lichen simplex chronicus of anogenital region: a clinico-etiological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) of the anogenital region, is a benign, extremely uncomfortable disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  As very little is known about the cause of anogenital LSC (AGLSC), we undertook this study to determine various clinico-etiological factors involved in it and to assess the frequency of AGLSC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive study, including 105 patients with AGLSC, who attended the Dermatology clinic in our institute from September 2007 to June 2009. Detailed history, physical examination, and relevant investigations were done. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of AGLSC among patients presenting with anogenital pruritus was 2.54%. Primary AGLSC was more common than secondary AGLSC (69.5% vs. 30.5%). AGLSC manifested more commonly in males than in females (56.2% vs. 43.8%). The mean duration of the disease was 30.6 months. The common triggering factors for itching were sweating (41.9%), rubbing of thighs while walking for long distances (9.5%), and mental stress (5.7%). Pruritus of AGLSC was related to the intake of various food items in 37.1% of patients. In males, scrotum was the predominant site involved (89.8%), whereas in females, labia majora was the predominant site involved (78.2%). Nearly one-third of cases (30.5%) of AGLSC had some other dermatoses in the anogenital region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though psychological factors are thought to play an important role in disease causation and perpetuation among AGLSC patients, their significance could not be ascertained by us.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and STD, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajalakshmi
authors.forename: Devinder Mohan
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thappa
authors.forename: Telanseri J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Jaisankar
authors.forename: Amiya Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001004:Anus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009450:Neurodermatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011537:Pruritus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult