title: Comparative Study of Quality of Life and Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies in Patients With Chronic Hand Eczema and Lichen Simplex Chronicus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) and chronic hand eczema (CHE) are 2 common dermatological disorders that affect physical, social, and psychological aspects of life. The aim of this study was to compare quality of life and obsessive-compulsive tendencies between patients with LSC and patients with CHE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients with LSC, 60 patients with CHE, and 60 healthy controls were included in the study. Quality of life was evaluated according to the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Patients were also assessed for compulsive behavior with the Leyton Trait Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with LSC (13.00 [1.41]) had a statistically significant higher mean (SD) DLQI compared with patients with CHE (11.33 [1.53]). Patients with LSC (13.97 [2.14]) presented statistically significant higher levels of obsessive-compulsive personality traits than patients with CHE (12.48 [2.69]), whereas both groups also differed from the healthy controls (10.68 [3.87]). The DLQI was not correlated with the Leyton Trait Scale in either the patients with LSC (r = 0.10, P = 0.50, not significant [NS]) or in the CHE patients (r = 0.01, P = 0.92, NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although both LSC and CHE are associated with impaired quality of life and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, significantly higher scores were recorded in patients with LSC.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Andreas Sygros Skin Hospital; †2nd Department of Psychiatry, Attikon University Hospital; and ‡2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon General University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anargyros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouris
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Efstathiou
authors.forename: Eftychia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Platsidaki
authors.forename: Revekka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsatovidou
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torlidi-Kordera
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigopoulos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kontochristopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004485:Eczema / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009450:Neurodermatitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*