Photogallery. Diseases of the skin and mucous membranes of the anogenital area in men

Pathology of the skin and mucous membranes of the anogenital area is a pressing and complex interdisciplinary problem. The spectrum of diseases affecting this anatomical region is extremely broad and diverse. This creates legitimate difficulties for practicing specialists in conducting differential diagnostics and establishing a diagnosis. Moreover, the clinical manifestations and course of some diseases depend on the patient's gender. This paper presents a series of observations on this topic in HIV-positive men from the author's archive. The current photo gallery brings together anogenital diseases of various etiologies, both those limited to this area and those that are only part of other common dermatoses. Among them: multiple epidermoid cysts of the scrotum, Fordyce angiokeratoma, herpes zoster, molluscum contagiosum, scabies, microsporia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and gonococcal infection.

An epidermoid cyst is a cystic tumor with low malignant potential. In addition to the external genitalia, it can also be found on the scalp, face, and trunk. The lesions are often multiple and can reach 6 cm in diameter.

Angiokeratoma is a tumor of persistently dilated subepidermal capillaries and postcapillary venules, associated with hyperkeratosis and acanthosis of the epidermis. Depending on the location and number of lesions, several clinical forms of the disease are distinguished. One of these is Fordyce angiokeratoma (genital angiokeratoma), in which the lesions are located on the scrotum in men or the vulva in women.

Genital herpes zoster in men affects the dermatomes innervated by the sacral spinal nerves S₂-S₄. This accounts for no more than 5% of all herpes zoster cases and may be accompanied by urinary dysfunction.

Molluscum contagiosum in adults most often occurs on the pubic area, external genitalia, anus, and lower abdomen. Multiple lesions are typically observed in immunocompromised states.

Genital lesions from scabies often go unrecognized because skin structure, increased humidity and temperature, and friction can alter the manifestations of the dermatosis.

Dermatophytosis of the external genitalia in men is rare. It primarily affects young adults. The primary causative agent is M. canis. While diagnosis of typical skin and hair lesions caused by Microsporum fungi is usually straightforward, this cannot be said for cases with atypical clinical presentation and/or location.

In Stevens-Johnson syndrome, the anogenital area is affected in 44-78% of cases. The resulting blisters quickly rupture, forming painful, extensive erosions covered with a fibrinous coating.

This demonstration of a case of gonococcal urethritis is intended to highlight the importance of gonococcal infection, the incidence of which is steadily declining in our country.

The images in the photo gallery are accompanied by a description of the pathological process. Cases of syphilis and STIs caused by the human papillomavirus and herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 are not included in the publication, as they have been previously discussed in previous issues of the journal.