Key result
The Disease Activity Score (DAS) skin tool showed the strongest correlation with the physician's skin VAS among the three tools tested and was quick to complete.
Why the study?
The optimal tool to assess skin disease in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis remains unclear, necessitating comparison of existing scoring tools.
Do the CAT, DAS, and MITAX scoring tools accurately assess skin disease compared to the physician's skin VAS in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis?
Cross-Sectional (n=71)
Do the CAT, DAS, and MITAX scoring tools accurately assess skin disease compared to the physician's skin VAS in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis?
The DAS skin tool correlates best with the physician's skin VAS for assessing skin involvement in juvenile dermatomyositis, though a new combined tool may be beneficial.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
DAS skin may aid cutaneous assessment in juvenile DM; leaves open need for optimized tool combining existing strengths.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the abbreviated Cutaneous Assessment Tool (CAT), Disease Activity Score (DAS), and Myositis Intention to Treat Activity Index (MITAX) and correlate them with the physician's 10-cm skin visual analog scale (VAS) in order to define which tool best assesses skin disease in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis. METHODS: A total of 71 patients recruited to the UK Juvenile Dermatomyositis Cohort and Biomarker Study were included and assessed for skin disease using the CAT, DAS, MITAX, and skin VAS. The Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS), manual muscle testing of 8 groups (MMT8), muscle enzymes, inflammatory markers, and physician's global VAS were recorded. Relationships were evaluated using Spearman's correlations and predictors with linear regression. Interrater reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: All 3 tools showed correlation with the physician's global VAS and skin VAS, with DAS skin showing the strongest correlation with skin VAS. DAS skin and CAT activity were inversely correlated with CMAS and MMT8, but these correlations were moderate. No correlations were found between the skin tools and inflammatory markers or muscle enzymes. DAS skin and CAT were the quickest to complete (mean ± SD 0.68 ± 0.1 minutes and 0.63 ± 0.1 minutes, respectively). CONCLUSION: The 3 skin tools were quick and easy to use. The DAS skin correlated best with the skin VAS. The addition of CAT in a bivariate model containing the physician's global VAS was a statistically significant estimator of skin VAS score. We propose that there is scope for a new skin tool to be devised and tested, which takes into account the strengths of the 3 existing tools.
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Campanilho‐Marques et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Juvenile dermatomyositis (n=71). Skin scoring tools (CAT, DAS, MITAX) vs. Physician's 10-cm skin visual analog scale (VAS) was evaluated on Correlation with the physician's 10-cm skin visual analog scale (VAS). The Disease Activity Score (DAS) skin tool showed the strongest correlation with the physician's skin VAS among the three tools tested and was quick to complete.
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