Development of the AIIMS Bhopal Pre-sternal Keloid Scale (ABPSKS): A Tool for Assessing Severity and Comparing Treatment Outcomes

Pre-sternal keloids are a distinct clinicopathological entity differing in many ways from keloids occurring elsewhere, as there are differences in pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management. We have reviewed commonly used assessment scales like the Vancouver Scar Scale, the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale, and the Detroit Keloid Scale and identified some shortcomings in applying them in assessing pre-sternal keloids. Therefore, we developed the AIIMS Bhopal pre-sternal keloid scale (ABPSKS), a pre-sternal keloid-specific tool to enable the assessment of the severity of the disease, the efficacy of treatment, and the comparison of outcomes of different treatment modalities. We have incorporated both the patient's and the observer's perspectives in our tool, and we have also incorporated certain measures that are distinct for pre-sternal keloids.