Background: Facial fibrofolliculomas (FFs) develop mainly on the face of patients with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) after the second decade and increase in number and size during life.
Objectives: Measurement of the impairment of health-related quality of life (HQoL) related to facial FFs in a series of French patients with BHDS in an analytical epidemiology study using two self-reported HQoL questionnaires.
Study design: The Dermatology Life Quality Index© (DLQI) and a modified version of the validated French version of the Cardiff Acne Disability Index© (CADI) were sent to 19 patients with BHDS. Demographic and clinical data were collected.
Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.
Results: Eighteen patients (56% male, 44% female, mean age 50.2 years) responded. Self-reported alteration in HQoL was reported in approximately one-third of the patients. The mean DLQI score (maximum 30) was low 2.2 (±4.3, range 0-18). Six (33.3%) had small effect on life (score 2-5) and one patient (5.5%) had a very large effect on her life (score 11-20) scoring 18. The mean CADI score (maximum 15) was a low 3.3 (±4.36, range 0-13). Five patients (31.1%) scored over 5 (>33% impairment). The highest DLQI and CADI scores were related to higher number of FFs. Limitation relies on the absence of validation of the modified version of the CADI.
Conclusions: This study stresses the burden of facial FFs for a minority of patients and the importance of providing a local treatment.
© 2010 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2010 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.