Quality of life among patients with hand eczema in Iran

Abstract

Background - Hand eczema is among the most common dermatological diseases with a chronic course. It has undesirable psychological, social and occupational outcomes affecting patient's quality of life. Objective - The aim of the present study was to study the quality of life of patients with hand eczema in an Iranian population. Methods and Results - This cross-sectional study was performed on 196 patients with hand eczema through clinical exam and filling specific questionnaires. Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were used for studying the disease severity and quality of life, respectively. Mean±SD of HECSI and DLQI scores were 57.05±48.85 and 14.80±5.79 respectively. In 94% of cases, hand eczema had significant effect on patients' quality of life. Based on DLQI, symptoms, feelings and personal relationships were the most affected aspects. There was a significant positive relationship between DLQI and HECSI scores (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in the quality of life based on age, sex and the disease duration. Conclusions - Since hand eczema significantly affects the quality of life, beside medical treatments, attention to psycho-social and occupational outcomes of the disease is highly recommended.