Establishment of clinical evaluation criteria for scalp seborrheic dermatitis

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the three symptom indicators of scalp seborrheic dermatitis (SSD), namely scalp flaking, maximum erythema area, and pruritus, to develop a “16-point scale,” to explore its relationship with the severity of SSD, and verify the reliability of the 16-point scale. Method: A dermatologist evaluated patients with SSD using a 16-point scale, and statistically analyzed the collected data with the help of SPSS 26.0 software. The measurement data are expressed as (mean ± SD), and the intergroup comparison was done using a non-parametric test. We performed the correlation analysis using the bivariate correlation analysis method, and the relationship among non-normal distribution data variables were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. p < 0.05 indicated that the difference was statistically significant. Results: The total score of the “16-point scale” strongly correlated with the severity of disease, where scalp flaking had the strongest correlation. As compared with a single score, the correlation of the total score with the severity of disease was higher. The scoring range for mild patients was (0, 5], that for moderate patients was (5, 9], and that for severe patients was (9, 16]. Conclusion: A “16-point scale”, consisting of items for adherent scalp flaking (0–10), maximum erythema area (0–3), and pruritus (0–3), was used to score the patients with SSD, and the total score was strongly correlated with and differentiated the severity of SSD. Recommended evaluation criteria: a total score of 0–5 points indicates mild SSD, 6–9 points indicates moderate SSD, 10–16 points indicates severe SSD. These criteria can help to standardize disease diagnosis and treatment, and efficacy assessment.