Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2008 Sep;159(4):887-94.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08711.x. Epub 2008 Jul 4.

Comparison of the reliability and validity of outcome instruments for cutaneous dermatomyositis

R Q Klein  1 , C A Bangert, M Costner, M K Connolly, A Tanikawa, J Okawa, M Rose, S S Fakharzadeh, D Fiorentino, L A Lee, R D Sontheimer, L Taylor, A B Troxel, V P Werth
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of the reliability and validity of outcome instruments for cutaneous dermatomyositis

R Q Klein et al. Br J Dermatol. 2008 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Reliable and validated measures of skin disease severity are needed for cutaneous dermatomyositis (DM). Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), Dermatomyositis Skin Severity Index (DSSI) and Cutaneous Assessment Tool (CAT) skin indices have been developed as outcome instruments.

Objectives: We sought to demonstrate reliability and validity of the CDASI, and to compare the CDASI with other potential tools for use in measuring disease severity in cutaneous dermatomyositis.

Patients and methods: CDASI has four activity and two damage measures, with scores from 0 to 148. DSSI assesses activity based on body surface area and severity on a scale of 0-72. CAT uses 21 activity and damage items, for a range of 0-175 for activity and 0-33 for damage. Ten dermatologists used the instruments to score the same 12-16 patients in one session. Global validation measures were administered to physicians and patients.

Results: Global validation measures correlated with the three outcome instruments (P < 0.0001). CAT displayed lower inter- and intrarater reliability relative to the CDASI. All scales correlate better with physician than patient global skin measures.

Conclusions: It appears that the CDASI may be a useful outcome measure for studies of cutaneous DM. Further testing to compare responsiveness of all three measures is necessary.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None

References

    1. Hundley JL, Carroll CL, Lang W, et al. Cutaneous symptoms of dermatomyositis significantly impact patients’ quality of life. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54:217–20. - PubMed
    1. Sontheimer RD. Dermatomyositis: an overview of recent progress with emphasis on dermatologic aspects. Dermatol Clin. 2002;20:387–408. - PubMed
    1. Sontheimer RD. Cutaneous features of classic dermatomyositis and amyopathic dermatomyositis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 1999;11:475–82. - PubMed
    1. Williams HC. Is a simple generic index of dermatologic disease severity an attainable goal? Arch Dermatol. 1997;133:1451–1452. - PubMed
    1. Albrecht J, Taylor L, Berlin JA, et al. The CLASI (Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index): An Outcome Instrument for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2005;125:889–894. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types