{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: The relationship between skin symptoms and the scleroderma modification of the health assessment questionnaire, the modified Rodnan skin score, and skin pathology in patients with systemic sclerosis.
{Author}: Ziemek J;Man A;Hinchcliff M;Varga J;Simms RW;Lafyatis R;
{Journal}: Rheumatology (Oxford)
{Volume}: 55
{Issue}: 5
{Year}: May 2016
{Factor}: 7.046
{DOI}: 10.1093/rheumatology/kew003
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To determine how well skin symptoms considered specific to SSc are captured by patient reported outcomes currently used for assessing patients with SSc, the SHAQ, or skin disease, the Skindex-29; and how well these symptoms correlate with the extent of skin disease on physical exam and skin pathology.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>SSc patients completed the scleroderma modification of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ), Skindex-29 and a Skin Symptom Assessment questionnaire developed for this study. Correlations were assessed between the Skin Symptom Assessment and SHAQ, Skindex-29, modified Rodnan skin score, and skin pathological features including myofibroblast staining completed on the same date.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Tight, hard and rigid/stiff skin symptoms correlated moderately highly with the modified Rodnan skin score (r = 0.445, P = 0.0008; r = 0.486, P = 0.0002; and r = 0.488, P = 0.0002, respectively). Tight skin symptoms correlated moderately with myofibroblast infiltration (r = 0.544, P = 0.0023) and hyalinized collagen (r = 0.442, P = 0.0164), while both hard and rigid/stiff skin correlated moderately with inflammation (r = 0.401, P = 0.0310 and r = 0.513, P = 0.0045), myofibroblast infiltration(r = 0.480, P = 0.0084 and r = 0.527, P = 0.0033) and hyalinized collagen (r = 0.453, P = 0.0137 and r = 0.478, P = 0.0087), while the SHAQ was not found to correlate with any of these pathological changes. In contrast, painful skin symptoms correlated moderately with the SHAQ (r = 0.413, P = 0.0073), and with the three domains of Skindex-29: Symptoms, Emotions and Functioning. Skindex-29 indicates that dcSSc patient skin symptoms are nearly as severe as those of patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Patient reported skin symptoms correlate with clinical and pathological measures in the skin. A validated patient reported skin symptom instrument might considerably improve evaluation of SSc skin disease.