Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in Thai scleroderma patients and associated factors

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been reported among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primarily limited cutaneous SSc in Caucasians. While there is no data on ED among Thais in whom the diffuse cutaneous SSc subset is common. Objectives: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of ED among Thais with SSc, evaluate its severity, and determine the associated factors. Methods: We did a cross-sectional study among adult Thai male SSc patients. All eligible patients: a) completed the IIEF-15 questionnaire by themselves; b) underwent a genital examination by an experienced urologist to evaluate skin tightness of the penis, scrotum, and phimosis; and, c) were evaluated for Erection Hardness Score. Results: A total of 60 male SSc patients were included. The respective mean age and median disease duration was 54.8±7.2 years and 3.1 years (IQR 1.2–7.2). The definition of ED was fulfilled in 53 cases for a prevalence of 88.3% (95%CI 77.4–95.2), while 65% had severe ED, and none had skin tightness of the genitalia. Eight cases had acquired phimosis, and all were in the ED group. The patients with ED vs. those without ED had significantly lower scores for orgasm, sexual desire, and intercourse satisfaction, and trended to be older, have more severe skin tightness and have higher BMI. Conclusion: ED is a common problem in men with SSc and is mainly categorized as severe. The severity of SSc might increase the risk of developing ED. We found phimosis was a common genital abnormality co-occurring with ED in SSc.