[Nutritional condition of epidermolysis bullosa patients assessed from body height and weight].

Exact body height and weight data of patient with epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) and recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) were collected through a nation-wide epidemiologic investigation concerning epidermolysis bullosa (EB) patients. This data was then compared with the averaged body height and weight of age and sex matched normal controls. The nutritional condition of the EB patients was evaluated statistically. The data showed that height of female EBS patients was less than the controls (p less than 0.01), and furthermore, that height and weight of male and female RDEB patients was also less than the controls (p less than 0.01). These results indicated that EB, especially RDEB patients, were in the poor nutritional condition, and that the adequate nutritional management might significantly influence the prognosis of these patients.