الفهرس 
AcknowledgmentsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 97 |  |  |
| | | from | 97 | | |
Abstract
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by mycobacterium leprae bacilli. The principal means of transmission of mycobacterium leprae is probably by aerosol spread of nasal secretions and uptake through nasal or respiratory mucosa. Clinical manifestations of the disease are largely confined to the skin, upper respiratory system, eyes, testes and peripheral nerves, with subsequent physical deformities and nerve damage.
Clinically, two large subsets of leprosy are distinguished: paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy. Up to 5 lesions are grouped under paucibacillary leprosy and six or more are grouped under multibacillary type. Multibacillary forms are lepromatous, borderline-lepromatous and borderline-borderline leprosy. The paucibacillary forms are tuberculoid and borderline tuberculoid leprosy.
Hypogonadism in male patients of leprosy is common. Testicular dysfunction is due to orchitis resulting from testicular infiltration or ENL.
In the literature, various hormonal factors have been shown to be responsible for sexual dysfunction in patients with leprosy.
The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual functions in men patients with the diagnosis of leprosy. This study included married men patients with the diagnosis of leprosy (n=60) who attended Leprosy Clinic at Sohag city between March 2011 and March 2012.
In this study, we found that 16.66% of patients had reduced testicular size and was infertile and all of them was multibacillary type. The mean basal LH and FSH levels in this group of patients were significantly elevated while the mean basal testosterone level were significantly reduced.
In this study, 63.33% of patients had desire dysfunction, 38.33% of patients had ED, 26.66% of patients had orgasm dysfunction, 61.66% of patients had intercourse dissatisfaction and 63.33% of patients had overall dissatisfaction.
In this study there was a significant negative correlation between sexual function scores (Desire, erection, orgasm, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction) and FSH and LH levels. There was a significant positive correlation between sexual function score and testosterone level.
In conclusion, this study highlighted negative impact of leprosy on the sexual functions of patients and indicated a specific group of leprosy patients who are at risk of sexual dysfunction (multibacillary patients). This group should be directed for andrological evaluation.
Recommendations
● Whenever leprosy is diagnosed the patient should be informed about the need for treatment regularly to prevent orchitis and other complications.
● Andrological evaluation may be an important part of the clinical work –up of men patients with multibacillary leprosy.