An Observational Study to Assess the Quality of Life in Patients with Superficial Dermatophytosis at Tertiary Care Center

Introduction: Superficial dermatophytosis is a common skin infection, having a recurrent and persisting course. The impact of disease is not only limited to skin but also affects the personal and social lives of these patients. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and five-dimensional (5D) pruritus score are often been used to assess their impact on patient’s quality of life (QoL). Aims: The present study aims at measuring the impact of the disease on the QoL of the patients by DLQI score and 5D pruritus score and find the association of DLQI and 5D pruritus score with different variables in patients with superficial dermatophytosis. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over 1 ½ years. The patients with superficial dermatophytosis attending the skin outpatient department were recruited after informed consent and were made to fill up the DLQI and 5D-pruritus scale questionnaires. Independent t -test and ANOVA were used to find statistical associations between mean DLQI scores and 5D-pruritus scores with the study variables. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to compare the effect on the QoL as measured from DLQI and 5D-pruritus score. Results: A total of 570 patients were recruited, among which 179 and 234 patients had DLQI scores and 5D-pruritus scores, respectively, with moderate effect. A significant correlation was found between age (≤40 years) and DLQI scores ( P < 0.006) but not with 5D-pruritus score. The highest mean DLQI score was seen in >6-month duration (9.2 ± 6.7) and >10% body surface area involvement (BSAI) (11.8 ± 5.7). The highest mean 5D-pruritus score was seen in >6-month duration (12.9 ± 4.1) and > 10% BSAI (15.8 ± 2.9). The effect on QoL was estimated on the basis of the duration of the disease and BSAI, which correlated strongly with the DLQI scoring and disability scoring in the 5D-pruritus scale ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: Although considered previously as a simple fungal infection, now it has emerged as a social, psychological, and economic burden on society.