Little Correlation Seen Between Patient, Clinician Vitiligo Disease Activity, Severity Index

The Vitiligo Disease Activity Index (VIDA), which relies on patient recall, does not correlate well with the clinician-derived Vitiligo Activity Severity Index (VASI), which assesses degree of depigmentation, according to the results of a recent retrospective, case-control study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The investigators evaluated VIDA scores in patients with vitiligo obtained at baseline and at a follow-up visit 3 weeks to 6 months later. They used the temporal restrictions of the selected VIDA scores and the clinician-derived VASI score as a way of determining the accuracy of a patient’s VIDA score. Predetermined written rules delineated the requirements for scores that were either consistent or inconsistent with the temporal window of the patient’s selected VIDA score and the clinician-performed assessment of pigmentation.

Inclusion criteria required a VIDA and VASI score that were documented at baseline and at follow-up, 6 weeks to 6 months later, for all participants enrolled in the Dallas Vitiligo Registry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

A total of 43 follow-up VIDA scores met the inclusion criteria and were examined. Overall, 25 accurate scores and 19 inaccurate scores were recorded (58% of scores were correct). The analysis failed to reject the null hypothesis that the percentage of accurate scores is no different from that which would happen by chance.

The investigators concluded that the patient-derived VIDA score does not correlate with disease activity, as calculated by change in VASI score over time. Patients are not accurate in predicting their own disease activity using the VIDA score is likely because of recall bias. Additional studies designed to develop a clinical score that is reflective of signs of disease activity are warranted.

Reference

Coias J, Hynan LS, Pandya AG. Lack of correlation of the patient derived vitiligo disease activity index (VIDA) with the clinician derived vitiligo activity severity index (VASI) [published online November 24, 2017]. J Am Acad Dermatol. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.11.034