title: Semiquantitative scoring in children under treatment for atopic dermatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atopic dermatitis is the most frequently seen childhood allergic disease in outpatient clinics. Improvement, exacerbation, and response to treatment are typically assessed subjectively and occasionally inaccurately.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors developed two forms for scoring of dermal manifestations and used them to assess 56 children. The correlation between two pediatricians' scores and correspondence to established categories (mild, moderate, and severe) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two physicians' scores for the children correlated well for both forms of scoring. Correspondence of scores as 'mild' and 'moderate' categories were significant (few children participating were 'severe').
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of well-constructed scoring forms should improve clinical assessment of patient course and treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya-city, Hyogo, Japan. kodomo@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murao
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mae
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Takakuni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanizawa
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index