title: Psoriasis affects patient's quality of life more seriously in female than in male in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients with psoriasis in Japan using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Furthermore, we had evaluated the correlation between DLQI and clinical severity of psoriasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Japanese version of DLQI was used to assess the QOL of patients. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and Itch visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to assess clinical severity of psoriasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The subjects were 102 Japanese patients with mild to severe psoriasis (77 males, 25 females, mean age 55.2 ± 14.2). There were no statistically significant differences in age, PASI, and itch VAS between male and female. The mean DLQI scores in total were 3.6 ± 3.2 in male and 7.2 ± 1.2 in female. The mean total DLQI scores in female were higher than that in male (p = 0.0016). Significant correlation was observed between DLQI scores and PASI score (p < 0.001) or itch VAS score (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean total DLQI scores in female were significantly higher than that in male. Also, we confirmed the correlation between DLQI and clinical severity of psoriasis. These findings suggest that QOL assessment plays a greater role in females than in the males, when assessing the severity of psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. mabuchi@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomotaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mabuchi
authors.forename: Hanako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikoma
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires