Abstract
BACKGROUND: The FricTest is used as a valuable tool for diagnosing and conducting threshold testing for Symptomatic Dermographism (SD). OBJECTIVE: In this study, the authors aimed to make a comparison between the Urticaria Activity Score (UAS), Urticaria Control Test (UCT), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Chronic Urticaria-Specific Quality of Life (CU-QoL) used to evaluate disease activity and control in the follow-up of urticaria patients and the Fric Test responses used in the diagnosis of dermographism. METHODS: 71 patients with SD were included in the study. Fric test 4.0 was performed in all patients at baseline and at month 1. The correlations of Fric test scores with UCT, UAS, VAS, DLQI, and CU-QoL at baseline as well as the changes in responses of treatment in the mean scores at month 1 were performed. RESULTS: In the correlation analyses, positive correlations were observed between UAS, DLQI, and CU-QoL scores and changes in Fric test 4.5 mm and 4 mm responses from baseline to the first month of treatment (p < 0.05). No significant correlations were found between Fric test 3.5 mm and 3 mm responses and CU-QoL, UAS, DLQI, and VAS scores (p > 0.05). STUDY LIMITATIONS: This study includes results from a small sample size, and larger-scale clinical trials are needed. CONCLUSION: Changes in the Fric test 4.5 mm and 4 mm responses of treatment were found to be more sensitive in detecting UCT, UAS, CU-QoL, and DLQI changes than the responses of the Fric test 3.5 mm and 3 mm.