Jerkovic Gulin Sandra, Kravvas Georgios, Seifert Oliver
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Ryhov County Hospital, Sjukhusgatan, 553 05 Jönköping, Sweden.
Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
J Clin Med. 2024 Dec 22;13(24):7836. doi: 10.3390/jcm13247836.
: Lichen Sclerosus (LSc) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition predominantly affecting the anogenital regions, with a well-recognised potential for malignancy. This study examines the incidence, demographic characteristics, and regional distribution of LSc in Sweden over a 20-year period. The analysis is based on data from the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR), with a focus on cases diagnosed in specialist care settings. A nationwide register-based study was conducted using data from the NPR, identifying cases of LSc diagnosed between 1 January 2001 and 1 January 2021. Data analysis explored incidence by region, sex, age, and diagnostic care setting. A total of 154,424 patients with LSc were included, and the control group consisted of the general Swedish population without known LSc. : The mean annual incidence of LSc was 0.81 per 1000 individuals across Sweden, with higher rates in females (1.14 per 1000) compared to males (0.47 per 1000). Incidence varied significantly across regions, with Blekinge, Kalmar, and Gotland exhibiting the highest rates. This study analysed the distribution of LSc diagnoses across medical specialties, finding that 29.8% of cases were managed by dermatology and venereology, while 17.2% were handled by gynaecology and obstetrics. The analysis of marital status revealed that the proportion of married and divorced LSc patients was significantly lower than the national averages for men and women. : This study highlights significant regional variations in LSc incidence. Future research should investigate whether environmental factors, genetic predisposition, socioeconomic disparities, or variations in healthcare access contribute to the variations in incidence. Such insights could lead to more targeted public health strategies for managing LSc across different regions.
硬化性苔藓（LSc）是一种慢性炎症性皮肤病，主要累及肛门生殖器区域，具有公认的恶变潜能。本研究调查了瑞典20年间LSc的发病率、人口统计学特征及区域分布情况。分析基于瑞典国家患者登记处（NPR）的数据，重点关注专科护理机构诊断的病例。利用NPR的数据进行了一项全国性基于登记处的研究，确定了2001年1月1日至2021年1月1日期间诊断为LSc的病例。数据分析探讨了发病率按地区、性别、年龄和诊断护理机构的情况。共纳入154424例LSc患者，对照组为无LSc的瑞典普通人群。：瑞典全国LSc的年平均发病率为每1000人中有0.81例，女性发病率（每1000人中有1.14例）高于男性（每1000人中有0.47例）。发病率在各地区差异显著，布莱金厄、卡尔马和哥特兰岛发病率最高。本研究分析了LSc诊断在各医学专科的分布情况，发现29.8%的病例由皮肤科和性病科处理，而17.2%由妇产科处理。婚姻状况分析显示，已婚和离异的LSc患者比例显著低于全国男女平均水平。：本研究突出了LSc发病率的显著区域差异。未来的研究应调查环境因素、遗传易感性、社会经济差异或医疗保健可及性的变化是否导致发病率的差异。这些见解可能会带来更有针对性的公共卫生策略，以在不同地区管理LSc。
