Overview of psoriasis severity among patients at a referral hospital in Piauí and its impact on quality of life

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the extent of cutaneous involvement by psoriasis among patients in a tertiary outpatient clinic and impact felt on the quality of life. Methods: A descriptive, retrospective study with a quantitative approach. Data was obtained from a sample of 31 patients treated at HU-UFPI’s dermatology clinic in the time range from 2022 to 2025, in whose chart a PASI was recorded, who agreed to feed information about their quality of life at time of diagnosis to the PDI. Normality was assessed by the Shapiro-Wilk method, and correlation between indices was assessed by Spearmann’s correlation test. Results: A positive correlation between PASI and PDI was found (ρ = 0,27), however, it was statistically insignificant (p = 0,14), and data was widely dispersed. A few relevant differences were found between specific subgroups, with greater impact on daily life and work among the unemployed and women, regardless of clinical severity. Conclusion: Studies with a larger sample size are necessary to establish a strong relationship between PASI and PDI. The weakly positive correlation found, though statistically insignificant, reinforces the individuality of experiencing psoriasis, and the relevance of individualized treatment plans.