Instrument assesses patient-reported hidradenitis suppurativa signs, symptoms

The Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptom Diary, which was developed as a patient-reported outcome measurement, demonstrated content validity, according to a poster presented at AAD VMX 2021.

Afsaneh Alavi, MD, of the department of dermatology at Mayo Clinic, and colleagues designed the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptom Diary (HSSD), an eight-item instrument assessing six symptoms (pain, tenderness, pressure, itch, heat and odor) and two signs (swelling and drainage) of HS from 0 (none) to 10 (worst possible) over the previous 24 hours. They developed the assessment based on patient qualitative interviews and FDA guidance.

The study included 36 patients with moderate to severe HS who participated in virtual interviews. Thirty-five percent of patients described their HS as moderate, 35% as severe, 15% as very severe and 15% as mild. The majority reported having lesions located in the armpits (81%) or the groin area (75%).

HSSD interviews initially involved concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing interviews. The authors asked patients to describe their symptoms and signs in their own words. Upon completion of the interviews on signs and symptoms, the authors found that all patients reported pain, drainage and itch. In addition, 94% reported swelling, 86% odor, 81% tenderness, 64% heat and 64% pressure.

“Patient qualitative research indicated the HSSD was relevant, clear and comprehensive,” Alavi and colleagues wrote. “Further research will be conducted to evaluate the measurement properties of the HSSD.”