Cutaneous symptoms of dermatomyositis significantly impact patients' quality of life

Dermatomyositis affects visible skin and causes disease symptoms that can affect patients' quality of life (QOL). In all, 71 patients with dermatomyositis or dermatomyositis sine myositis completed two QOL measures (the Skindex-16 and the Dermatology Life Quality Index) and a visual analog scal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2006-02, Vol.54 (2), p.217-220
Main Authors: Hundley, Jennifer L., Carroll, Christie L., Lang, Wei, Snively, Beverly, Yosipovitch, Gil, Feldman, Steven R., Jorizzo, Joseph L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Dermatitis
Dermatology
Dermatomyositis
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pruritus
Psoriasis
Quality of Life
Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis
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Summary:Dermatomyositis affects visible skin and causes disease symptoms that can affect patients' quality of life (QOL). In all, 71 patients with dermatomyositis or dermatomyositis sine myositis completed two QOL measures (the Skindex-16 and the Dermatology Life Quality Index) and a visual analog scale for pruritus. Disease severity was assessed by Physician's Global Assessment. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 10.7 and the mean Skindex-16 score was 51.1. Itching contributed to impact on both the Dermatology Life Quality Index and Skindex-16. Females reported worse QOL. The effect of treatment on quality of life was not assessed in these analyses. QOL impairment in dermatomyositis is greater than in other skin conditions including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Pruritus is an important treatable factor that significantly impacts QOL for patients with dermatomyositis.
ISSN:0190-9622
1097-6787
DOI:10.1016/j.jaad.2004.12.015