Prevalence of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in Spain: a population-based study using the 3-source capture-recapture method. Evidence of a need for improvement in care = Prevalencia de la epidermólisis ampollosa distrófica en España: estudio poblacional usando el método de captura-recaptura con 3 fuentes de datos. Evidencia de la necesidad de mejora en la atención sociosanitaria Articles uri icon

authors

  • HERNANDEZ-MARTIN, A.
  • ARANEGUI, B.
  • ESCAMEZ TOLEDANO, MARIA JOSE
  • LUCAS DE, R.
  • VICENTE, A.
  • RODRIGUEZ-DIAZ, E.
  • BERNABEU-WITTEL, J.
  • GONZALEZ-HERMOSA, R.
  • GARCIA-PATOS, V.
  • GINARTE, M.
  • MASCARO, J.M.
  • CORREDERA, C.
  • BASELGA TORRES, EULALIA
  • SANTIAGO, J.L.
  • CHAVES, A.
  • ROMAN, C.
  • EVOLE, M.
  • MARTIN-SANTIAGO, A.
  • TORRELO, A.
  • RIO NECHAEVSKY, MARCELA ANDREA DEL
  • FEITO, M.
  • GONZALEZ-ENSEÑAT, M.A.
  • ROMERO, G.
  • MORCILLO-MAKOW, E.
  • ABAITUA, I.
  • GARCIA-DOVAL, I.

publication date

  • December 2013

start page

  • 890

end page

  • 896

issue

  • 10

volume

  • 104

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0001-7310

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1578-2190

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is a rare disease that represents a heavy burden for both the patient and the health care system. There are currently no data on the prevalence of DEB in Spain. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of DEB in Spain. METHODS: We used data from 3 incomplete population-based sources (hospital dermatology departments, diagnostic laboratories performing antigenic mapping, genetic testing or both, and the Spanish Association of Epidermolysis Bullosa Patients [DEBRA]) and combined them using the 3-source capture-recapture methodology. RESULTS: We identified 152 living DEB patients. The estimated prevalence of DEB was 6.0 cases per million (95% CI, 4.2-11.8) in adults and 15.3 (95% CI, 10.4-40.8) in children under 18 years of age. The data indicated that 77% of the patients were not being followed up in specialized centers of reference; 65% had not had a genetic diagnosis, and 76% were not members of DEBRA. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of DEB in Spain is 6.0 patients per million (95% CI, 4.2-11.8), a figure higher than previous estimates in many areas, but similar to those found in other southern Europe countries. The north-south difference may represent real geographic differences in prevalence, but it might be due to the fact that most of the data come from registries with a lower than expected catchment. Many patients are not being followed up in centers of reference, do not have genetic diagnosis, and are not members of patients' associations, suggesting that there is room for considerable improvement in their care.

keywords

  • accesibilidad a servicios de salud access to health care services; epidemiology; epidemiologia; epidermolysis; epidermolisis; prevalence; prevalencia