Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) and Dermatomyositis (DM) are cutaneous autoimmune diseases that have been among the least systematically studied, due in part to the lack of validated outcome instruments in the past. More recent epidemiologic studies have elucidated the incidence and prevalence of these diseases and their subtypes. In addition, the advent of validated clinical outcome measures, including the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) and the Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), has led to an objective means of measuring activity and damage of the disease. These outcome measures have established the framework for evaluating responsiveness and therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials as well as longitudinal studies to study disease course.
Keywords: CLE Disease Activity and Severity (CLASI); Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM); Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI); Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus; Dermatomyositis(DM); Drug-Induced CLE; Epidemiology; Physician Global Assessment (PGA); Refractory CLE; Short-Form 36 (SF-36); Skindex-29; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; The Cutaneous Assessment Tool (CAT); The Dermatomyositis Skin Severity Index (DSSI); Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).