Correlation study between clinical classification and disability index in a holistic evaluation of acne severity and impact in Turkey

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study provides a comparison between disease severity observed by inspectors and the disease burden assessed by patients is scanty in acne study. METHODS: In a multicenter prospective hospital-based study, modified Comprehensive Acne Severity Scale (mCASS) and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) were employed to grade disease severity and to determine the quality of life, respectively. The average of the mCASS and CADI scores, with range at 0-25, was termed as Acne Severity and Impact Grading System (ASIG). RESULTS: In 1331 evaluated patients (mean: 21,51 +/- 4,93 years), including 306 men and 1025 women, an overall significant, positive correlation was found between ASIG and mCASS (r=0.862), or CADI (r=0.686), respectively (P=0.001 each). Adult women with back acne and adolescent with decollete expressed greater concern (higher CADI) than the clinical severity (lower mCASS). The overall prevalence of acne in decollete area, including neck, was 32.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies in the acne severity between self-perception and objective evaluation exist in certain subgroups of patients. Decollete acne deserves special attention in clinical assessment. (Cite this article as: Ozlu E, Karadag AS, Aksoy B, Gunes Bilgili S, Gonul M, Yavuz IH, et al. Correlation study between clinical classification and disability index in a holistic evaluation of acne severity and impact in Turkey. Ital J Dermatol Venereol 2021;156:669-74. DOI: 10.23736/S27848671.20.06738-3)