Abstract
Background
The Skin Laxity Severity Scale for the buttocks was previously developed to separately assess buttock ptosis, a scalloped appearance of the skin, infragluteal fold, localized fat on the lower third of the buttocks, and linear depressed lesions. A more objective, faster and shorter version of this scale, to be evaluated visually, would be more feasible to apply in daily practice.
Objectives
To present a new skin laxity scale for the buttocks: the Skin Laxity Visual Scale (SLVS).
Materials & Methods
To establish the scale, investigators chose, by consensus, the most representative cases of each skin laxity grade. The images were graphically edited to better represent the degree of skin laxity identified in a previous study. Scale validity and reliability were assessed in two validation cycles, performed by eight dermatologists assessing 50 clinical cases.
Results
Overall, Kendall’s, weighted-kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficients indicated very good reliability and consistent inter- and intra-rater agreement (p<0.001). The scale validity was confirmed by criteria validity tests (rs: 0.76, p<0.05).
Conclusion
The SLVS for the buttocks is a reliable, reproducible, accurate and valid scale to identify skin laxity severity and its different features. It will very likely be an easy-to-use and convenient tool to appropriately assess improvement obtained with treatment and follow patients.
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Funding
Financial support: Galderma sponsored the project.
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Conflicts of interest: Doris Hexsel has worked as consultant, speaker and has received grants from Galderma. Andreia Santos Fogaça is a speaker for Galderma and i-Thread. Cristhine Kamamoto is an employee of Galderma. Maria Paula Del Nero is a member of Galderma’s advisory board and a speaker for Galderma. Rosa Maria Carvalho de Matos is a speaker for Galderma. None of the other authors have any conflicts of interest to declare.
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Hexsel, D., Valente-Bezerra, I., Dos Santos Fogaça, A. et al. A new skin laxity scale for the buttocks: the Skin Laxity Visual Scale (SLVS). Eur J Dermatol 33, 245–248 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2023.4479
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2023.4479