Background: This study provides a comparison between disease severity observed by inspectors and the disease burden assessed by patients is scanty in acne study.
Methods: In a multicenter prospective hospital-based study, modified Comprehensive Acne Severity Scale (mCASS) and Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) were employed to grade disease severity and to determine the quality of life, respectively. The average of the mCASS and CADI scores, with range at 0-25, was termed as Acne Severity and Impact Grading System (ASIG).
Results: In 1331 evaluated patients (mean: 21,51±4,93 years), including 306 men and 1025 women, an overall significant, positive correlation was found between ASIG and mCASS (r=0.862), or CADI (r=0.686), respectively (P=0.001 each). Adult women with back acne and adolescent with décolleté expressed greater concern (higher CADI) than the clinical severity (lower mCASS). The overall prevalence of acne in décolleté area, including neck, was 32.3%.
Conclusions: Discrepancies in the acne severity between self-perception and objective evaluation exist in certain subgroups of patients. Décolleté acne deserves special attention in clinical assessment.