Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Simpler skin scoring for atopic dermatitis in dogs
By Olivry, Thierry et al.·Published in Veterinary Dermatology·2014·Department of Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine North Carolina State University 1060 William Moore Drive Raleigh NC 27607 USA, United States·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Validation of the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI)‐4, a simplified severity scale for assessing skin lesions of atopic dermatitis in dogs
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A new scoring system called CADESI-4 has been developed to help veterinarians assess skin problems in dogs with atopic dermatitis (a common skin allergy). This simpler method focuses on 20 specific body areas and evaluates three types of skin lesions: redness, thickening, and hair loss or scratching. The CADESI-4 is quicker to use, taking about one-third of the time compared to the older CADESI-3 system. It has been shown to be reliable and effective in tracking changes in skin condition, making it a helpful tool for vets treating dogs with skin allergies.
People also search for: dog skin allergy treatment · atopic dermatitis in dogs · how to treat dog itching · CADESI-4 for dog skin problems
Abstract
BackgroundSeverity scales are used to grade skin lesions in clinical trials for treatment of dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). At this time, only two scales have been validated, namely the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI)‐3 and the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Index (CADLI). However, the high number of assessed sites makes the CADESI‐3 impractical.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop and validate a fourth version of the CADESI that is simpler and quicker to administer.MethodsBody sites, lesions and severity grades were revised by members of the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). The newly designed CADESI‐4 was tested for its validity (i.e. content, construct and criterion), reliability (i.e. inter‐ and intra‐observer reliability and internal consistency), responsiveness (i.e. sensitivity to change) and time to administer. Disease severity benchmarks were chosen using receiver operating characteristic methodology.ResultsThe CADESI‐4 was simplified in comparison to its previous version to comprise 20 body sites typically affected in atopic dogs. Three lesions (erythema, lichenification and alopecia/excoriation) were scored from 0 to 3 at each site. The CADESI‐4 had satisfactory validity, reliability and sensitivity to change. On average, the time to administer a CADESI‐4 was one‐third that of a CADESI‐3. Proposed benchmarks for mild, moderate and severe AD skin lesions are 10, 35 and 60, respectively.Conclusions and clinical importanceThe CADESI‐4 is simpler to use and quicker to administer than its previous version. The ICADA recommends the CADESI‐4 instead of the CADESI‐3 to score skin lesions of AD in dogs enrolled in clinical trials.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12107