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Background: Anhedonia is defined as a reduced ability to experience or even a total loss of pleasure. Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate anhedonia in 104 consecutive acne patients. Material and Methods: Acne severity was assessed with Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), anhedonia was studied with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS) and Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). Moreover, the quality of life (QoL) and stigmatization, as well as depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – HADS), were additionally evaluated. Results: Anhedonia was found in 20.19% of acne patients and was more common (p=0.007) in males (34.29%) than in females (13.04%). Based on SHAPS, males with acne showed significantly (p=0.049) higher levels of anhedonia (2.39 ± 3.18 points) than acne females (1.26 ± 2.36 points). Anhedonia significantly correlated with the clinical acne severity (SHAPS: r=0.205, p=0.038 and ACIPS: r=− 0.222, p=0.026). Although the intensity of anhedonia did not show any relationship with QoL and stigmatization assessments, there was a significant correlation between anhedonia and depressive symptoms (SHAPS: r=0.310, p< 0.001; ACIPS: r=− 0.364, p< 0.001). Such dependency was not documented for anxiety. Conclusion: Anhedonia seems to be a common phenomenon in acne and should be considered in the holistic approach to acne patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acne is a common skin condition affecting both adolescents and adults, and it can profoundly impact patients' quality of life and mental well-being. This prospective cross-sectional study aims to explore the differences in psychosocial aspects between male and female acne patients in Poland. A total of 104 consecutive acne patients were included in this study. Clinical severity, patients' quality of life, stigmatization levels, and psychiatric disturbances were evaluated using the following instruments: Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), 6-Item Stigmatization Scale (6-ISS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This study found that female patients exhibited significantly less severe acne and experienced significantly decreased quality of life and increased levels of stigmatization. Furthermore, anxiety levels among female patients exceeded those observed in their male counterparts. Notably, no disparities in the severity of depression were observed between the two gender groups. Correlations were discerned among all psychosocial parameters in the entire study cohort and in the female subgroup, while such correlations were not uniformly observed among male participants. This study underscores the importance of considering psychosocial aspects and implementing routine measurements in the management of acne to improve patients' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pruritus, which is the most frequent subjective symptom of psoriasis, may cause significant discomfort, embarrassment and even interfere with patients normal daily activities. However, the perception of itch in various psoriasis subtypes remains unknown. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate and to characterize pruritus in different clinical variants of psoriasis. Methods: This cross-sectional, binational, multicentre study included 295 subjects suffering from nine different clinical subtypes of psoriasis: large-plaque psoriasis (n = 45), nummular psoriasis (n = 32), guttate psoriasis (n = 31), scalp psoriasis (n = 32), inverse psoriasis (n = 23), erythrodermic psoriasis (n = 33), palmoplantar psoriasis vulgaris (n = 33), palmoplantar pustular psoriasis (n = 42) and generalized pustular psoriasis (n = 23). Measures included sociodemographic and anthropometric data, detailed pruritus characteristics including but not limited to pruritus intensity, frequency and extend, as well as psoriasis severity. Results: The lifetime prevalence of pruritus in each clinical variant of psoriasis was similar and quite high, reaching up to 100% in some disease subtypes (i.e., nummu)lar psoriasis, scalp psoriasis and generalized pustular psoriasis). Psoriasis severity correlated with pruritus intensity in scalp psoriasis, palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and generalized pustular psoriasis. The age, duration of psoriasis and BMI did not interfere with the intensity of itch. Conclusions: Pruritus is highly prevalent in each clinical variant of psoriasis. However, the sensation of itch is very individual, difficult to universally describe even in the same subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is reported to be one of the most common medical conditions in school-age youth and is ranked third in the prevalence of pediatric conditions. Only a few studies have investigated the occurrence of itch in diabetes mellitus, reporting conflicting data. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of itch in T1D to provide itch characteristics and to explore the potential underlying causes. Methods: This prospective study evaluated itch among 100 children with T1D. Itch intensity was assessed with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the 4-Item Itch Questionnaire (4IIQ). The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) was implemented to assess the quality of life issues. Various clinical features and factors influencing itch were also examined. Skin dryness was evaluated clinically by non-invasive assessment of epidermis moisturizing. Results: Itch occurred in 22% of children with T1D with the mean maximal intensity of 5.9 ± 3.0 points in NRS and 6.7 ± 3.5 points in 4IIQ (median, 5.5 points). In the majority of patients, the itch was limited to a few regions of the body; usually, the upper limbs (68.2%) were affected, followed by the lower limbs (50%) and the trunk (31.8%). Clinically examined skin xerosis was significantly more advanced in children with itch compared with those without itch (p < 0.01). The mean CDLQI score in the itchy group was 4.0 ± 4.7 points (median, 2.5 points), indicating a small impairment of quality of life. The intensity of itch (both NRS last 3 days and NRS last 24 h) correlated positively with life quality impairment (R = 0.7; p = 0.015 and R = 0.8, p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Our study found itch as a moderately frequent symptom in children with T1D; however, itch presence and intensity may relevantly debilitate quality of life among subjects. We suggest that dryness of the skin may play a role in the pathogenesis of itch in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease present in about 3% of the world's population. The clinical symptoms manifest diversely, therefore one can distinguish several subtypes of psoriasis. The majority of patients with psoriasis experience pruritus, which is an unpleasant sensation that decreases patients' quality of life. The knowledge on pruritus in different subtypes of psoriasis is limited. We have performed a cross-sectional, prospective, and multicenter study to evaluate the relationship between clinical subtypes of psoriasis (large-plaque, nummular, guttate, palmoplantar, inverse, erythrodermic, palmoplantar pustular, generalized pustular psoriasis, and psoriasis of the scalp) and the prevalence, intensity, and clinical manifestation of itch. We introduced a questionnaire assessing various aspects of pruritus to a total of 254 patients. Out of these, 42 were excluded. Pruritus was present in 92.9% of the remaining patients and its prevalence did not depend on the clinical subtype. A correlation between the severity of psoriasis and the intensity of itch was explicitly noticeable in palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and scalp psoriasis (p < 0.05). The itch sensation was individual and differed among subtypes of psoriasis. In conclusion, pruritus is a frequent phenomenon, and its presentation is different in various subtypes of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]