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Guiding Clinicians: Choosing the Right Evaluation Schemes for Acne Scar Research

  • 0Hospital for Skin Diseases, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology +

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February 17, 2025

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February 17, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This review highlights objective (PRIMOS) and subjective (ECCA, GSGS) tools for measuring acne scarring. Standardized outcome measures are crucial for advancing acne scar research and therapy.

Area Of Science

  • Dermatology
  • Medical Technology

Background

  • Acne scarring is a common sequela of acne vulgaris, impacting patient quality of life.
  • Photoelectric therapies have advanced, but research is limited by a lack of standardized outcome measures for acne scarring.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To review current grading modalities for acne scarring.
  • To assist clinicians in conducting acne scar research and therapies.

Main Methods

  • A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and MEDLINE.
  • Acne scarring severity measurements were classified into objective, investigator-reported subjective, and subject-reported assessments.
  • Evaluations focused on reliability, sensitivity, and validity.

Main Results

  • The objective instrument PRIMOS demonstrated high inter-rater (ICC > 0.90) and intra-rater (ICC > 0.96) reliability.
  • Subjective scales ECCA and GSGS showed acceptable to strong performance, with GSGS scoring 7/8 and ECCA 5/8 on key metrics.
  • Many scales exhibited poor to moderate performance due to insufficient reliability testing.

Conclusions

  • PRIMOS is a promising objective tool for acne scar assessment.
  • GSGS and ECCA are leading subjective scales, but standardization is needed.
  • Standardized acne scarring measures are essential for robust systematic reviews and clinical recommendations.