Three-dimensional imaging for volume measurement of hypertrophic and keloid scars, reliability of a previously validated simplified technique in clinical setting

Introduction Evidence behind many of the current treatments in hypertrophic and keloid scars remains limited. Current objective methods to assess efficacy and provide follow-up can be complex and are not easily applied in clinical setting. The aim of this study was to assess reliability of a recently validated simplified technique for volume measurement in clinical practice. MethodsVolume measurement of 28 hypertrophic and keloid scars was conducted in 22 consecutive patients, using a three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the coefficient of variation (CV). The measurement error was expressed as limits of agreement (LoA). ResultsThe simplified method for three-dimensional volume measurement showed good intra-rater reliability with an ICC of 0.997 and a CV of 7.3%, and a good inter-rater reliability with an ICC of 0.999 and a CV of 5.7%. The plot of the differences and LoA showed near-perfect agreement between observers. ConclusionObjective evaluation of scar volume using the simplified three-dimensional measurement technique may complement subjective scoring and improve the ability to quantitatively compare the response to therapeutic methods.