title: Creation of a head and neck Keloid quality of life questionnaire.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Create a head-and-neck keloid quality of life (QOL) questionnaire. Demonstrate the reliability of the keloid-specific QOL scale according to test-retest and internal consistency standards.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients presenting to a keloid clinic in a tertiary referral institution between April 2012 and February 2013 were enrolled on their first visit. They were administered a questionnaire assessing demographics and a 21-item Likert keloid-specific survey assessing symptomatology, self-esteem, social functioning, and therapeutic motivation during their first three visits. Reliability of the keloid questionnaire was assessed for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest correlations. Patients were treated with Kenalog steroid injections at each visit. The 126-point total score from the questionnaire was then compared to each subscale (physical symptoms, self-esteem, social function, and medical motivation) using a Pearson coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The keloid QOL questionnaire showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 for the overall questionnaire and ranged from 0.66 to 0.86 for individual questions. The test-retest Pearson's R was 0.70 between visits 1 and 2 and 0.77 between visits 2 and 3. The Pearson correlation between symptoms, self-esteem, social functioning, and medical motivation subscales and the overall scale were 0.77, 0.73, 0.72, and 0.57, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This head and neck keloid-specific QOL questionnaire proved to be a reproducible method of reliably assessing QOL burden on patients with head and neck keloids.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Guy Facial Plastic Surgery, Shenandoah, Texas.
authors.forename: W Marshall
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Prasanth
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pattisapu
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Julina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ongkasuwan
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brissett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide
keywords: Keloid; hypertrophic scar; quality of life; scar