title: A quality-of-life study of cutaneous lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study of quality of life in patients with skin disorders has become more important in recent decades. In the case of lupus erythematosus, most quality-of-life studies have focused on the systemic form of the disease, with less attention being paid to the cutaneous form. The main objective of this study was to evaluate quality of life in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) using a dermatology-specific questionnaire: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Our secondary objective was to investigate associations between DLQI scores and other aspects of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients with CLE completed the DLQI questionnaire. Other factors assessed were disease severity (measured using the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index), time since diagnosis, body surface area affected, previous and current treatments, and the presence of criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the DLQI, CLE had a moderate, very large, or extremely large effect on quality of life in 50% of the patients analyzed (18/36). No significant associations were found between DLQI scores and disease severity, time since diagnosis, body surface area affected, number, type, or duration of pharmacologic treatments, or the presence or absence of SLE criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CLE has a significant and lasting effect on patient quality of life. This effect is probably primarily due to multiple factors, including the chronic nature of the disease, the visibility of the lesions, and the fact that they can cause disfigurement.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Dermatología, Xestión Integrada Pontevedra-Salnés, Pontevedra, España. Electronic address: anacebey@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batalla
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-Doval
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peón
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de la Torre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Calidad de vida; Cutaneous lupus erythematosus disease area and severity index; Cutaneous lupus erythematosus.; Dermatology quality of life index; Disease severity index; Lupus eritematoso cutáneo.; Quality of life; Área e índice de severidad del lupus eritematoso cutáneo; Índice de calidad de vida en Dermatología; Índice de severidad de enfermedad