Eighty-five people aged 2-76 years with 250 common and plantar warts were followed prospectively for 9 months. The majority (57; 67%) had one to two warts. Of the 54 subjects who had a past history of warts, 41 (75.9%) had sought treatment for them. Twenty-four (58.5%) said that treatment had been unsuccessful; 22 (53.7%) experienced pain during their treatment; 14 (34.1%) said that treatment had been inconvenient; nine (22%) required multiple treatments; and eight (19.5%) said the treatment resulted in the development of scars. The quality-of-life assessment related to their current warts revealed that 81.2% were moderately to extremely embarrassed by them; 70.5% were moderately to extremely concerned about negative appraisal by others for having them; 24.7% said that it was moderately to extremely difficult to play sport because of their warts. Moderate to severe discomfort from their warts occurred in 51.7% of people and 35.4% said they had moderate to severe pain. During the 9-month study period, 27 (31.8%) of the participants had at least one wart regress spontaneously with 49 (19.6%) of the 254 warts regressing during that time. These data confirm the impression that a wart is not merely a blemish on the skin. Warts have the potential to cause considerable morbidity at times; this should be taken into account when a patient asks for treatment.
Eighty-three participants with psoriasis were followed over a 2-year period assessing the severity, morbidity and cost of their disease over time. At recruitment, they were examined by a dermatologist who classified them on a global basis as mild (47%), moderate (35%) or severe (18%). A Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score was also recorded at the initial interview. Participants completed questionnaires on the morbidity related to having psoriasis using the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) and a self-administered PASI (SAPASI) score at the initial interview and at 3-monthly intervals over the 2-year period. During the 3-monthly follow ups, patients also collected information on the cost of treatment. Using the PDI data, two-thirds of the respondents said that, as a result of their psoriasis, they altered the way they carried out their normal daily activities; more than 50% wore different types or colours of clothing; more than 50% said their home was made more messy or untidy; and over a third had problems at the hairdresser or difficulties playing sport. The annual out-of-pocket expense for medical products was around AUD$250 per person, with costs ranging from zero to more than AUD$2,000 per individual over the 2-year period. Costs were highest for over-the-counter products purchased without a medical prescription. There were similar variations in the out-of-pocket expenses of medical consultations depending on the level of medical care required. The study revealed that the standard methods used for classification of severity of psoriasis, such as the PASI or SAPASI scores, do not take into account the treatment being used at the time the score is recorded and therefore may not accurately reflect the true severity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.