Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris I. The Impact of Therapy on the Quality of Life

Overview

Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of psoriasis and different modalities of antipsoriatic treatment on the patient’s quality of life.

Methods:
In total 105 patients with psoriasis (59 men and 46 women) were examined by dermatologist and clinical psychologist. The following items were evaluated: history, physical examination, laboratory tests, PASI score and questionnaires evaluating quality of life – the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI), the SF- 36 score (36 – Item Short Form Health Survey) and the Questionnaire of Life Satisfaction (QLS). Patients were treated by topical or systemic treatment or phototherapy according to clinical findings and general health condition. All indices mentioned above were evaluated after 3 and 9 months of survey.

Results:
All results were statistically evaluated. Total values and percentages of PASI score and PDI decreased after 3 months of therapy. There was no pronounced decrease of above mentioned indices after 9 months of survey. Minor differences were found in the evaluation of SF-36 and QLS. Statistically important difference of PDI score (in %) was found between men and women at the beginning of the study. No differences were found in the quality of life of patients with different PASI score. More than 75 % of patients were satisfied with the treatment both after 3 and 9 months while no statistically important differences among different therapeutic modalities were noticed.

Conclusion:
The quality of life in patients with psoriasis did not depend on extent and intensity of psoriatic skin changes directly and was influenced by psoriasis more in women than in men. The modality of treatment did not influence satisfaction with therapy in our patients.

Key words:
psoriasis vulgaris – quality of life – Psoriasis Disability Index – SF-36 – Questionnaire of Life Satisfaction