National Information Campaign Revealed Disease Characteristic and Burden in Adult Patients Suffering from Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease often associated with a significant impairment in the quality of life of affected patients. The Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology (SIDeMaST) planned a national information campaign, providing direct access to 27 dermatologic centers dedicated to the management of AD. The aim of this study aimed was to outline critical aspects related to AD in the general population. Overall, 643 adult subjects were included in this study, and in 44.2% (284/643) of cases, a diagnosis of AD was confirmed, whereas about 55% of subjects were affected by other pruritic cutaneous diseases. Higher intensity of pruritus and sleep disturbance, as well as an increased interference in sport, work, and social confidence was reported in the AD group compared to the non-AD group. In the AD subgroup, the mean duration of disease was of 15.3 years, with a mean eczema area and severity index (EASI) score of 11.2, and investigator global assessment (IGA) score of 1.9 and an itch numeric rating scale (NRS) of 6.9. Almost 32% of patients were untreated, either with topical or systemic agents, whereas 44.3% used routine topical compounds (topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors), and only 7.0% of patients were systemically treated. Only 2.8% of patients reported complete satisfaction with the treatment received for AD to date. This study reveals a profound unmet need in AD, showing a poorly managed and undertreated patient population despite a high reported burden of disease. This suggests the usefulness of information campaigns with the goal of improving patient awareness regarding AD and facilitating early diagnosis and access to dedicated healthcare institutions.

To what extent is quality of life impaired in vitiligo? A multicenter study on Italian patients using the dermatology life quality index.

BACKGROUND: It is believed that vitiligo has an impact on the overall patient quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: To estimate QoL in a fairly large sample of Italian vitiligo patients by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-one vitiligo patients referred to 9 dermatological centers were offered to participate by filling in the Italian version of the DLQI questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean total DLQI score was 4.3 (SD ±4.9; range: 0-22). In multivariate analysis, DLQI >5 was associated with female gender, stability of the disease over time and involvement of the face at disease onset. CONCLUSIONS: The impairment of QoL is overall limited in Italian vitiligo patients, especially if it is compared with results from other available studies. This could be due to cultural and ethnic characteristics of the sample.

Circulating autoantibodies and autoimmune comorbidities in vitiligo patients: a multicenter Italian study.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune comorbidities and circulating autoantibodies have been observed in vitiligo patients, but differences in rate are present according to countries in which the studies were performed, perhaps owing to ethnic diversities or different trigger factors. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of circulating autoantibodies and overt autoimmune diseases in a fairly large sample of Italian vitiligo patients. METHODS: 175 outpatients affected by vitiligo and referred to nine dermatological centers were included in the study. Patients were offered routine blood test, serological testing for thyroid function and search for autoantibodies. RESULTS: At least one circulating autoantibody was detected in 61 (41.8%) of 146 subjects who underwent laboratory tests. Anti-thyroperoxidase (25.6%), anti-thyroglobulin (23.4%), antinuclear antibodies (16.8%) and anti-gastric parietal cell antibodies (7.8%) were the most noticed autoantibodies. 74 (41.5%) autoimmune comorbidities, mainly autoimmune thyroiditis (37%), were reported. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of autoimmune comorbidities and circulating autoantibodies in this study was in agreement with other surveys conducted on Caucasian patients.