Systemic sclerosis: Sexual dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms in 73 patients

To estimate the frequency of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and sexual dysfunction in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and associate these symptoms with clinical and functional parameters including disability and quality of life.

Patients with SSc seen in Cochin hospital, Paris, between February and April 2010 were assessed for disease type, LUTS by the Urinary Symptom Profile scale, sexual dysfunction by the Feminine Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and International Index for the Erectile Function (IIEF-5), global disability by the Health Assessment Questionnaire and McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire, anxiety and depression by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, and quality of life by the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36.

The most frequent LUTS among the 73 patients included (13 males) were overactive bladder (n=11, 84.6%) and dysuria (n=8, 61.5%) for males and overactive bladder (n=51, 85%) and incontinence (n=29, 48.3%) for females. Among women, 32 (53.2%) were sexually active: 20 (62.5%) had sexual disorders (mean [SD] FSFI score 16.3 [6.2]), the most compromised domains being desire (mean score 2.6 [1.3]) and arousal (mean score 2.5 [1.4]). Sexual disorders were associated with short disease duration (P=0.01) and high depression (P=0.04) scores. For men, 7/8 (87.5%) had erectile dysfunction (mean IIEF-5 score 16 [5.3]).

LUTS seem to be more frequent in SSc patients than in the general population. The most frequent symptom was overactive bladder.