Cutaneous Body Image (CBI) in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS): a hospital- based cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has been linked with body image (BI) impairment and reduced quality of life (QoLWe sought to evaluate the associations between Cutaneous Body Image (CBI) and disease severity in HS patients. Materials and methods: Between July 2020 and January 2022, a cross-sectional study was carried out including consecutive HS patients above the age of 16 who attended the Dermatology Department of a University Hospital. Disease Severity was graded with Hurley stage, HS-Physician’s Global Assessment (HS-PGA) scale, the Modified Sartorius scale (MSS), and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) score. Patients completed ten survey instruments including Patients’ Severity of disease, pain and pruritus scale, CBI, BI, Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI), Skindex-16, EQ5D 5L, EQ- visual analogue scale (VAS), PHQ9, and GAD7. Results: In total, 70 HS patients above 16-year-old participated, mean [SD] age, 34.44 [11.64] years; 49/70 (70%) males and 21/70 (30%) females. Mean± SD CBI, DLQI, Skindex-16 total, EQ-5D-5L, EQ VAS, PHQ9 and GAD7 were 5.59 ±1.58, 11.70±8.88, 52.90±27.75, 0.75±0.21, 62.48±21.12, 7.64±5.56, 7.87±5.23 respectively. Moderate to severe CBI dissatisfaction was reported by 36/70 (51.42%) patients. CBI was correlated with educational level (p<0.01, r=0.306), BI appearance evaluation (AE) (p<0.01, r=0.544), body areas satisfaction (BASS) (p<0.01, r=0.481), and overweight preoccupation subscale (OWPS) (p<0.01, r=-0.267), and Skindex-16 (p<0.01, r=-0.288). Conclusion: Our study found that the mean of CBI in HS patients was 5.59 ± SD 1.58 and this was correlated with AE, BASS, OWP, and Skindex-16.