Young's syndrome

introduction

Young's disease or syndrome was 1st noted by Young, a urologist, in 1972, which he called Barry-Perkins-Young syndrome
this rare syndrome affects mainly middle aged men born before 1955 and consists of:
- male infertility due to obstructive azospermia resulting from inspissated semen with normal spermatozoa and normal cilia on histology
- chronic sinopulmonary infections such as bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis and chronic sinusitis
  - appears to account for 3% of adult bronchiectatic populations (perhaps in those born before 1955? as later studies do not seem to show YS as a cause)¹⁾
given that the incidence in men born after 1955 has fallen dramatically, it has been postulated to be linked to mercury poisoning poisoning in childhood due to use of mercury-containing teething powders which contained calomel ²⁾
it has also been postulated to be autosomal recessive condition but this is yet to be proven ³⁾
- typical Young syndrome is not associated with CFTR mutations and thus unlikely to be associated with cystic_fibrosis

¹⁾

²⁾

Hendry et al observed a rate of 50% of YS in males with obstructive azoospermia who were born before 1955; however, this number fell to 17% in males born after 1955

³⁾