The dermatology life quality index as a means to assess life quality in patients with different scar types

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2015-11, Vol.29 (11), p.2112-2119
• Main Authors: Reinholz, M., Poetschke, J., Schwaiger, H., Epple, A., Ruzicka, T., Gauglitz, G. G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrophy - pathology; Cicatrix - etiology; Cicatrix - pathology; Cicatrix - psychology; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic - psychology; Female; Humans; Keloid - psychology; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life - psychology; Retrospective Studies; Self-Injurious Behavior - complications; Skin - pathology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/jdv.13135

Background Measuring quality of life through questionnaires is a common method to evaluate the impact of different afflictions on the patient's well‐being, especially in the field of dermatology where appearance changing afflictions are common. Objectives A variety of questionnaires has been used to distinguish different skin conditions like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and scars. Using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), we investigated different scar types regarding their impact on quality of life. Methods We assessed the quality of life in 130 patients presenting to our outpatient scar clinic for the first time using the DLQI. Scars were analysed according to their clinical appearance (physiological scars, keloids, hypertrophic scars, atrophic scars, self‐harm scars). Physiological scars were established as a baseline for further comparison between groups. Results Patients in the physiological scar group scored a mean DLQI score of 2.07 ± 3.56, patients in the keloid‐, hypertrophic scar‐, atrophic scar‐ and self‐harm scar group scored values of 6.06 ± 4.00, 2.53 ± 2.48, 7.26 ± 6.72 and 12.00 ± 3.85 respectively. When compared to the baseline group the difference in the overall score for keloids was +3.99 (P