Furst et al developed a score for evaluating skin involvement in scleroderma. It is based on the most severe tethering or "hide binding" seen in 10 body areas. It has also been referred to as the UCLA skin score.
Tethering or hidebinding refers to the inability to pinch skin into a "normal" skin fold, with "normal" based on evaluation of uninvolved skin in multiple areas.
Sites examined:
(1) face
(2) back
(3) chest
(4) abdomen
(5) arms
(6) forearms
(7) hands
(8) thighs
(9) legs
(10) feet
Site selected for scoring:
• The most severely affected location within a given body area.
• For extremity locations (arms, forearms, hands, thighs, legs. feet) the side with the more severe involvement was selected.
Description
Skin Score
skin not tethered or bound down
0
mild tethering
1
moderate tethering
2
severe tethering
3
skin score =
= SUM(points for the 10 sites)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 30
• The higher the score, the more severe and extensive the involvement.
Performance:
• Furst (1984) found the intraindividual variation was 8.5 +/- 9% with a coefficient of variation of 0.06.
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