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An automated, computer-guided Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) measurement technology shows comparable precision and excellent reproducibility at analyzing psoriatic arthritis severity when compared with a physicians’ assessment, according to data published in The British Journal of Dermatology.
Researchers performed automated total body imaging and digital image analysis to create an objective, computer-guided technology to evaluate patients’ PASI score. Patients with plaque-like psoriasis (N=120) were evaluated by both the automated, computer-guided technology and by 3 PASI-trained physicians for levels of agreement, variability between methods, and reproducibility of each assessment.
Overall, the mean PASI score was 8.8, but there was a wide range in severity from 0.7 to 43.8. The 3 physicians calculated a slightly lower PASI score when compared with the automated computer-guided technology, which lead to an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.8-0.9; P <.001). The physicians’ reproducibility was high, with an inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.9 (95% CI, 0.86-0.93; P <.001). The automated, computer-guided technology’s reproducibility was very high with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99; P <.001).
Due to the computer analyzing process, exact body postures are needed for imaging, which could be limiting for patients who are immobile or non-cooperative.
Overall, this method could provide objective data useful in clinical trials or conclusive documentation of disease severity.
Reference
Fink C, Alt C, Uhlmann L, Klose C, Enk A, Haenssle HA. Precision and reproducibility of automated computer-guided Psoriasis Area and Severity Index measurements in comparison with trained physicians [published online September 15, 2018]. Br J Dermatol. doi: 10.1111/bjd.17200
