Burden of Keloid Disease: A Cross-sectional Health-related Quality of Life Assessment.

Keloid scars may be painful, itch severely and be cosmetically disturbing. The burden of keloid disease, however, has not yet been determined. This study evaluated the association of keloid disease with health-related quality of life (HRQL) and identified indicators of burden using a cross-sectional survey study, with one disease-specific HRQL measure (Skindex-29) and 2 generic HRQL measures (SF-36 and EQ-5D-5L). A total of 106 keloid patients with no other skin diseases participated in the study. Having keloid disease was associated with a considerable impairment of emotional wellbeing, with most impairment on the emotional and mental HRQL. Pain and itch were the strongest indicators of HRQL impairment in keloid patients. Having painful or itchy keloids was related to low mental and emotional HRQL, implying that patients with keloids require access to effective treatment aimed at alleviating physical symptoms.

Keloids: assessment of effects and psychosocial-impacts on subjects in a black African population.

BACKGROUND: Keloids are vexatious swelling on the skin or the conjuctiva. The effects and impacts of these lesions have not been assessed in a keloid endemic environment like Nigeria. AIMS: The purpose of this study is to assess the psychosocial impact as well as effects of keloids on the subjects in a black African population where lesions are commonly seen. METHODS: This is a prospective study which assesses the impacts of keloid on keloid patients. Consented patients who presented to the Plastic Surgery Clinic of the Lautech Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria were recruited into the study. A set of questionnaires were administered to all consented patients. The administered questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 10. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty one patients were involved in this study. They comprised of 61 males and 70 females. Most (96.8%) of them had the keloid lesion for more than one year. Sixteen (12.2%) of the patients felt that keloids negatively affect their works, 64 (48.9%) of the patients felt stigmatized by keloids, 28 (56.0%) of them who had lesions in conspicuous parts while 24 (46.2%) had lesions in non-conspicuous parts. Females (59.1%) felt stigmatized than males. Only 47 (35.8%) of the patients believed that keloid swelling limit their social interaction. CONCLUSION: Keloids do not appear to have significant negative impacts on keloid patients in a keloid-endemic community like a black African population.