Abstract
The quality of life (QOL) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) was studied.
Thirty-eight patients with SSc answered a questionnaire or were interviewed about their QOL. Four main factors, physical, social, psychological, and economic factors, were evaluated.
The functional disability index (FDI) was examined as an assessment of the physical factor. The FDI was significantly lower in patients with diffuse scleroderma than in those with limited scleroderma. Moreover, the FDI was significantly correlated with the specific scores of the severity of patients with SSc described by Ishikawa.
It was suggested that the quality of well-being score (QWB score) as a social factor and the face scale score as a psychological factor were lower in patients with diffuse scleroderma than in patients with limited scleroderma. Patients who had discomforts of having SSc felt the economic loss, regardless of a high or low medical cost.
However, the patients with better QWB score showed better face scale score even if they had poor FDI.
These data indicate that the analysis of QOL in patients with SSc is valuable in managing them.
