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Topical Corticosteroid Concerns Among Parents of Children with Psoriasis versus Atopic Dermatitis: A French Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

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Abstract

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis are chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorders for which the gold standard treatment is topical corticosteroids. Although fears about topical corticosteroids are known to be a primary cause of poor therapeutic adherence in AD, this has not been evaluated in psoriasis. TOPICOP is a helpful and easy-to-use tool for the evaluation of topical corticosteroid concerns (TCC). It may help clinicians improve adherence to treatment and correct misconceptions.

Objective

We aimed to compare the TCC of parents of children with psoriasis or AD using the TOPICOP scale and a visual analog scale (VAS).

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional multicenter study in nine French hospitals from 1 October 2015 to 31 May 2016. The TOPICOP scale was developed for patients with AD and comprises 12 questions to assess patients’ worries and beliefs about topical corticosteroids, with a maximum score of 36. We used a standardized questionnaire to collect epidemiologic and medical data, and the parents completed the TOPICOP scale and VAS (score 0–10).

Results

A total of 122 children were enrolled (61 patients in each group). The mean Physician Global Assessment was 2.1 in the psoriasis group, and the mean SCORing AD index was 33.3 in the AD group. The TOPICOP score was 16.0 in the psoriasis group and 18.8 in the AD group (p = 0.10). The VAS score was 5.6 and 5.1 in the psoriasis and AD groups, respectively (p = 0.18). The mean TOPICOP score was higher if the mother answered (p < 0.0001; odds ratio 12.3; 95% confidence interval 9.2–15.5). In the AD group, the mean TOPICOP score was higher if follow-up for the child was as an outpatient (p = 0.018). In the psoriasis group, the mean TOPICOP score was higher if patients were seen for the first time (p = 0.047).

Conclusion

Using the TOPICOP questionnaire and a VAS, we found the level of TCC for the parents of pediatric patients with psoriasis to be similar to that for parents of pediatric patients with AD. As TCC is an issue in patients with psoriasis, future research is warranted to assess whether therapeutic education lessens TCC and improves treatment outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nancy, Batiment P Canton, 6 allée du Morvan, 54500, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

    Sandra Moawad & Anne-Claire Bursztejn

  2. Dermatology Department, Hospital Victor Dupouy, Argenteuil, France

    Emmanuel Mahé

  3. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France

    Hélène Aubert-Wastiaux & Sébastien Barbarot

  4. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Lyon, Lyon, France

    Alice Phan

  5. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Tours, Tours, France

    Annabel Maruani

  6. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France

    Christine Chiaverini

  7. Dermatology Department, Necker Hospital, Paris, France

    Christine Bodemer

  8. Dermatology Department, University Larrey Hospital, Toulouse, France

    Juliette Mazereeuw-Hautier

  9. Dermatology Department, Institut Catholique de Lille, Lille, France

    Audrey Lasek-Duriez

  10. Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Rennes, Rennes, France

    Catherine Droitcourt

  11. Public Health Department, Ambroise Paré University Hospital Centre, Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Alain Beauchet

Authors
  1. Sandra Moawad
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  2. Emmanuel Mahé
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  3. Hélène Aubert-Wastiaux
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  4. Alice Phan
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  6. Christine Chiaverini
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  7. Christine Bodemer
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  8. Juliette Mazereeuw-Hautier
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  11. Sébastien Barbarot
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  13. Anne-Claire Bursztejn
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Consortia

for the Groupe de Recherche de la Société Française de Dermatologie Pédiatrique

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Moawad.

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Funding

No sources of funding were used to conduct this study or prepare this manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

Sandra Moawad, Emmanuel Mahé, Hélène Aubert-Wastiaux, Alice Phan, Annabel Maruani, Christine Chiaverini, Christine Bodemer, Juliette Mazereeuw-Hautier, Audrey Lasek-Duriez, Catherine Droitcourt, Sébastien Barbarot, Alain Beauchet, and Anne-Claire Bursztejn have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this manuscript.

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Moawad, S., Mahé, E., Aubert-Wastiaux, H. et al. Topical Corticosteroid Concerns Among Parents of Children with Psoriasis versus Atopic Dermatitis: A French Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study. Am J Clin Dermatol 19, 261–265 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-017-0318-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-017-0318-5

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