The place of scales and questionnaires in assessing the disease’s severity and the long-term prophylaxis’s prescribing in patients with hereditary angioedema

Abstract

Hereditary angioedema is a hereditary life-threatening disease characterized by recurrent angioedema of various strength and localization. To date, definite diseases severity criteria have not been developed. There are many different factors to consider not only the frequency of episodes, but also their duration, strength, influence on the patient's appearance, the severity of the pain syndrome. Disease related quality of life, the number of work disability days, and the patient's satisfaction with the prescribed treatment are important. In addition, there are no criteria for prescribing long-term prophylaxis, and no parameters for choosing a specific drug. The introduction of specific scales and questionnaires developed to assess such characteristics as disease activity, disease control, quality of life in patients with recurrent angioedema into clinical practice seems to be the best solution for both questions. The comprehensive understanding of the diseases severity in a particular patient can be carried out with the combined use of assessment tools.