Childhood morphea does not impair self-perception

Methods We studied 19 patients attending our Department (68,4% female, median age 13,6 yrs). The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) was administered to all patients. The CHAQ is a disease specific instrument selected because of its widespread use in the pediatric rheumatology literature and ease of administration. The CHAQ measures functional ability in eight activities of daily living: dressing and grooming, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reach, grip and activities. The items with the highest score in a domain determine the score for that domain. These eight domains are then averaged into a summary score called the disability index which may range from 0 to 3, with the higher scores meaning higher disability. The CHAQ also provided an assessment of discomfort using a 10 cm VAS visual analogical scale (VAS) for the evaluation of overall wellbeing.