title: Objective measurement of two clinical signs in childhood atopic eczema in research and therapeutics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atopic dermatitis (AD) or eczema is an inflammatory skin disease associated with significant impairment of quality of life. It is important to objectively quantify cutaneous biophysical measurements in research and therapeutics of this disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if skin redness (erythema) and pigmentation (melanin) correlate with disease severity and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Redness and pigmentation were measured under standardized condition at the antecubital flexure. Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS) and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pigmentation correlated with age (r = 0.38, p = 0.02), but not with disease severity (NESS) or quality of life (CDLQI). Erythema correlated with age (r = 0.53, p = 0.001), NESS (r = 0.44, p = 0.006), pigmentation (r = 0.62, p< 0.0001), but not CDLQI (r = 0.3, trend p = 0.087).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Skin erythema and pigmentation increase with age. Erythema correlates with disease severity but pigmentation correlates with neither severity nor quality-of-life score. The objective measurement of these two signs does not replace the clinical measurements of severity and quality of life, and may be of limited scope in eczema research and therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatrics , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital , Shatin , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Kam Lun
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.affiliation: b Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , United Christian Hospital , Kowloon , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Chi Kong David
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatrics , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital , Shatin , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Yin Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Nga Hin
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Pong
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatrics , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital , Shatin , Hong Kong SAR , China.
authors.forename: Ting Fan
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000473:pathology*; D004485:Eczema / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; children; eczema; erythema; melanin; pigmentation; redness