Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients of Acne Vulgaris Pre and Post Treatment by Using “Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI)

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilo-sebaceous unit. It is characterized by seborrhea, non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions, and scarring. Almost all teenagers can expect some degree of acne, with moderate to severe disease in about 15% of 15-17-year-olds. Acne develops earlier in girls, but more boys are affected. Background and Aims This study is designed to To study, the quality of life in patients of acne vulagris, pre and post treatment using “CARDIFF ACNE DISABILITY INDEX (CADI)” Method In this study 60 patients having acne vulgaris attending the Out Patient department of Dermatology were included as subjects for the study. The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) (Motley and Finlay, 1992) CADI4, a five-item questionnaire is used to asses the impact of acne on quality of life of acne patients. Results The Quality of life on the whole was found to be significantly affected in pre-treatment acne patients as compared to post-treatment acne patients (p< 0.001). The CADI score correlated with the severity of acne (p<0.001). In summary, the findings of the present study indicate that CADI is a reliable and valid measure of acne impact on quality of life in patients with this condition. Conclusion The impact of acne on quality of life can be measured using general health measures, dermatology-specific measures or acne-specific measures. Quality of life measures can influence the choice of therapy. In patients with a severe impact on their quality of life, a more aggressive therapy may be justified.