title: The impact of fingernail psoriasis on patients' health-related and disease-specific quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The impact of various dermatological conditions on quality of life (QoL) has been extensively studied, however the impact of nail psoriasis on QoL is an underexplored area.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of fingernail psoriasis on patients' QoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study using validated questionnaires concerning QoL (SF-36, modified onychomycosis questionnaire) was performed in 49 patients with fingernail psoriasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean SF-36 scores for fingernail psoriasis patients were comparable to the mean scores of the Dutch reference population. However, mean scores on the modified onychomycosis QoL questionnaire for all domains were reduced. Localisation, gender and duration of nail psoriasis influenced the impact of nail psoriasis on patients' QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fingernail psoriasis can interfere with patients' social, mental and physical well-being. Assessing patients' QoL in daily practice offers the opportunity of a patient-centred approach to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Radboud university medical centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Haike M J
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: van der Velden
authors.forename: Karlijn M G
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Klaassen
authors.forename: Peter C M
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van de Kerkhof
authors.forename: Marcel C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pasch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires