Background/objectives: Keloid is a healing disorder that occurs exclusively in humans. This pathology is considered a benign cicatricial neoplasm, whose physiopathogenesis has not yet completely clarified. Its disfiguring appearance often could potentially cause a disturbance in the patient regarding his/her body image. The objective is to evaluate the impact of keloid on body image.
Methods: 61 patients with keloid in socially exposed regions of the body were included. The participants were submitted to clinical evaluation, composed of anamnesis and physical examination, and answered two questionnaires: the Body Dysmorphic Symptoms Scale (BDSS) questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale - Unifesp/EPM.
Results: Forty percent of the patients had negative aspects of body image (BDSS score≥6). The scores of these patients on the Rosenberg Scale reached an average of 10.5 (p<0.03).
Conclusions: The presence of a keloid negatively affects body image.
Keywords: Body dysmorphic disorders; Body image; Keloid; Self concept; Wound healing.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.