Evaluation of the Quality of Life of Lupus Erythematosus Patients with Cutaneous Lesions in Japan

The study evaluated the quality of life (QOL) of 54 Japanese lupus erythematosus (LE) patients with skin manifestations using the Skindex-29 and CLASI indices. Results showed that therapeutic intervention improved QOL. Female gender was a significant risk factor for poor QOL in "Functioning" before treatment, and there were correlations between poor QOL and female gender in "Emotions," older age in "Symptoms" before treatment, and longer SLE duration in "Functioning" after treatment. Acute phase skin activity was linked to poor emotional and functional QOL. This was the first report on the QOL of Japanese LE patients, despite the small sample size.