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. 2015 Jan;172(1):169-74.
doi: 10.1111/bjd.13167. Epub 2014 Nov 30.

Improvement in the cutaneous disease activity of patients with dermatomyositis is associated with a better quality of life

E S Robinson  1 , R Feng, J Okawa, V P Werth
Affiliations

Improvement in the cutaneous disease activity of patients with dermatomyositis is associated with a better quality of life

E S Robinson et al. Br J Dermatol. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous dermatomyositis (DM) disease activity is associated with decreased quality of life.

Objectives: To assess if an improvement in quality of life, as measured by the Skindex-29 and patient-reported itch and pain on a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS), correlated with an improvement in cutaneous DM disease activity.

Methods: Patients with a completed cutaneous DM disease area and severity index [Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI)] at two visits separated by at least 2 months were classified into responder (n = 15) and nonresponder (n = 30) groups according to the point change in the CDASI activity scores between visits. Responders had at least a four-point improvement in CDASI activity, indicating clinically relevant improvement.

Results: The change from baseline to the follow-up visit of the Skindex-29 subscale scores for the responders vs. the nonresponders were significantly different for emotions (P < 0·01), functioning (P < 0·01) and symptoms (P < 0·01). The change in VAS score between responders and nonresponders was also significant for itch (P = 0·01) and pain (P = 0·04). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of disease subtype, sex, race, age, treatment for DM, smoking history or a history of malignancy within 5 years of a diagnosis of DM.

Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that the quality of life of patients with DM improved as their cutaneous disease activity decreased.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in the Skindex-29 subscale scores of emotions (a), functioning (b), and symptoms (c) from visit 1 to visit 2 for the 15 responders compared to the 30 non-responders. Red lines represent the median score.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in the itch (a) and pain (b) VAS scores from visit 1 to visit 2 for the 15 responders compared to the 30 non-responders. Red lines represent the median score.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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