Quality of life in patients with autoimmune bullous disorders: a cross-sectional study

Autoimmune Bullous Diseases (AIBDs) are characterized by blistering skin and mucous membrane lesions. This study evaluated the quality of life and associated factors in patients with AIBDs. In this cross-sectional study, we included all clinicallyand laboratory-confirmed AIBD patients older than 16 years who sought care at the Dermatology and Hair Clinic of Sina Hospital (Tabriz, Iran) from March to September 2020. We collected the demographic characteristics, disease profile, Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) score, and Autoimmune Bullous Skin Disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS). The recorded data were analyzed using SPSS v16 software. One hundred patients (44 men and 46 women) with a mean age of 52 ± 2 years participated in this study. Among them, 76 had pemphigus vulgaris, 18 had bullous pemphigoid, and 6 had pemphigus foliaceous. A median score of six was recorded for the ABQOL, and a median score of one was recorded for the ABSISscale. The relationship between quality of life and disease severity was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Also, a weak but statistically significant association was observed between the quality of life and patients’ age (P = 0.049). We demonstrated that increased disease severity significantly impairs AIBD patients’ quality of life. On this account, patients with severe AIBDs require more social, psychological, and financial support.