Impact of Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Location on Quality of Life in Adult Patients in a Real-world Study.

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVE

To report the impact of specific AD lesion locations on QoL in adult patients with AD using real-world data.

METHODS

The Adelphi US Disease Specific Programme was conducted between January–April 2018. Physicians documented patient demographics/characteristics, AD lesion locations, and body surface area; patients completed questionnaires reporting the impact of lesion locations on QoL.

RESULTS

AD severity was moderate in 51.6% of patients and severe in 6.0%. Lesions were commonly identified in more than one location. All AD lesion locations impacted QoL. Visible areas were most bothersome, including head/neck (68%), hands/fingers (58%), front (30%), upper extremities (22%), and lower extremities (16%), with statistically significant associations for a number of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) items. Itch, soreness, pain, and stinging are also associated with a number of body areas but in particular with those that are most visible/accessible. Lesions on the head/neck and hands/fingers (58%) demonstrated an increased impact on the anxiety and depression dimension of the EuroQol 5-Dimension tool.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with AD, quality of life was most affected in patients with lesions in visible areas, including head/neck, hands/fingers, and upper extremities, with statistically significant associations for a number of DLQI domains. Physicians should be aware of the burden of AD lesions on QoL and consider having conversations with patients to better understand the impact of these lesions. Prior presentation: 28th Annual European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress; 9–13 October 2019, Madrid, Spain. Poster number P0233.J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(10): 943-948. doi:10.36849/JDD.2020.5422.