1Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, SGT Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute, Chandu-Budhera, Gurugram, Haryana, India
2Assistant Professor, Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, SGT Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute, Chandu-Budhera, Gurugram, Haryana, India
*Correspondence to email id: irbinderkour@gmail.com
Online published on 7 December, 2019.
Autoimmunity is considered as one of the pathognomic mechanism in vitiligo. The trigger for this autoimmunity is not known. Semen and urine routine examinations were done in 33 male patients with average age of 34.03 years (Range 18–69). Thirteen (39.39%), 8 (24.24%), 11 (33.33%) and one (3.03%) patient had localized, generalized, acrofacial and segmental vitiligo respectively. 32 (96.97%) on semen analysis as compared to only 6 (18.18%) on urine examination showed evidence of genitourinary infection, a significant difference. One patient with normal semen examination was a case of segmental vitiligo over glans penis. Wives of 9 (36%) of 25 married men also had evidence of genitourinary infection. Thus, the study suggests that genitourinary infection is a possible trigger for autoimmunity in cases of vitiligo except in cases of segmental vitiligo. Semen analysis in male cases is a better modality of investigation than urine examination. Sexual partners should also be screened for presence of genitourinary infection and both should be treated appropriately to take away this possible trigger of autoimmunity. Further studies are recommended to recognize the organism responsible.
Vitiligo, Semen analysis, Urine routine examination, Localized vitiligo, Generalized vitiligo, Acrofacial vitiligo, Segmental vitiligo
