Clinical Epidemiology Unit, IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy,
Department of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, Rome, Italy,
Dermatology. 2021;237(1):103-110. doi: 10.1159/000503319. Epub 2019 Nov 19.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by deep-seated nodules, abscesses, and draining fistulas. HS has a substantial adverse impact on patients' lives. Only a few studies investigated the relationship between health-related quality of life, psychological distress, and emotional dysregulation in patients with HS. Alexithymia, namely the difficulty in describing or recognizing emotions, has been associated with various psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.
The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with HS and its association with demographic and clinical variables, quality of life indices, and psychological distress.
Ninety outpatients with HS completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Dermatology Life Quality Index, the Skindex-17, and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Information on sociodemographic and clinical variables was retrieved from clinical records.
Alexithymia or borderline alexithymia was observed in 44.4% of patients with HS, with a higher prevalence of the alexithymic trait in women than in men (51.7 vs. 31.2%). We did not find any association between alexithymia and clinical variables. Of the entire sample analyzed, 46.1% reported high psychological distress; among them, 78% reported alexithymia or borderline alexithymia compared to 16.7% among GHQ noncases. Furthermore, HS patients with alexithymia or borderline alexithymia showed significantly higher scores on the Skindex-17 psychosocial scale and the Dermatology Life Quality Index, and a lower score on the mental component of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, than nonalexithymic patients.
Dermatologists should consider alexithymia in the diagnosis and treatment of HS patients, given its important role in psychological and psychosocial distress.
化脓性汗腺炎（HS）是一种罕见的慢性炎症性皮肤病，其特征为深部结节、脓肿和引流性瘘管。HS 对患者的生活有很大的负面影响。只有少数研究调查了 HS 患者的健康相关生活质量、心理困扰和情绪调节之间的关系。述情障碍，即描述或识别情绪的困难，与各种心理障碍有关，如焦虑、抑郁和心理困扰。
本研究旨在调查化脓性汗腺炎患者述情障碍的患病率及其与人口统计学和临床变量、生活质量指数和心理困扰的关系。
90 名 HS 门诊患者完成了 20 项多伦多述情障碍量表、12 项一般健康问卷（GHQ-12）、皮肤病生活质量指数、Skindex-17 和 36 项简短健康调查。从临床记录中检索了社会人口统计学和临床变量的信息。
HS 患者中存在述情障碍或边缘性述情障碍的比例为 44.4%，女性的述情障碍发生率高于男性（51.7%比 31.2%）。我们没有发现述情障碍与临床变量之间存在任何关联。在整个分析样本中，46.1%的患者报告存在较高的心理困扰；其中，78%的患者报告存在述情障碍或边缘性述情障碍，而 GHQ 非病例患者的这一比例为 16.7%。此外，患有述情障碍或边缘性述情障碍的 HS 患者在 Skindex-17 心理社会量表和皮肤病生活质量指数上的评分显著较高，而在 36 项简短健康调查的心理成分上的评分显著较低。
鉴于述情障碍在心理和心理社会困扰中的重要作用，皮肤科医生在诊断和治疗 HS 患者时应考虑述情障碍。
