Outcome Measures in Dystrophic Calcinosis Cutis: A Systematic Review

Background

Calcinosis cutis is a skin condition characterized by calcium salt deposition in the skin and subcutaneous tissues, significantly affecting patients' QOL. Owing to its rarity and lack of standardized outcome measures, there are no approved medications.

Objective

This systematic review aims to summarize clinically relevant outcome measures used to assess dystrophic calcinosis cutis.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. Studies were included if they reported clinical outcomes assessing dystrophic calcinosis cutis. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by 2 researchers using standardized tools.

Results

Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria, with the majority being retrospective observational studies. Commonly used outcome measures included clinician-reported measures (73.1%), imaging (50.0%), and patient-reported outcomes (42.3%). Radiographs were the most frequently used imaging modality. No consistent outcome measures were identified across studies.

Conclusion

There is a lack of standardized outcome measures for dystrophic calcinosis cutis, impeding treatment development. Incorporating patient-reported outcomes is crucial for assessing treatment impact on QOL in this refractory condition. To promote new therapeutics for calcinosis cutis, objective outcome measures, such as imaging, need to be developed and prospectively validated in patients with calcinosis cutis.