The Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Plastic Surgery- A Systematic Review of Screening Methods

Abstract

The body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is considered to be a sub-form of somatoform disorders. BDD can express itself in a delirious experience, an excessive evaluation and employment of the external appearance, in particular the face. Preliminary results suggest that individuals with BDD do not benefit from plastic surgery, so that aesthetic surgery often results in aggravation of their symptoms. Thus, the identification of signs for a BDD is crucial, whether a patient should be operated plastically-aesthetically. This overview explains the often difficult diagnostics of the BDD by summarizing the current literature on its screening. Systematic overview METHODS: An electronic search was conducted in the German and English-language literature in order to identify all screening instruments for the BDD. The specific development RESULTS: Six different screening instruments were identified for the BDD. Only two of these were evaluated in a cosmetic setting: the "Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire Dermatology Version" (BDDQ-DV) and the "Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire" (DCQ). The influence on the subjective results after a plastic-aesthetic procedure was measured only for the DCQ. The limited availability of validated screening instruments for BDD in plastic surgery is markedly in contrast to the supposedly high prevalence of the disease of 2.4 %. Among the currently used screening tools, the BDDQ-DV and the DCQ appear to be most suitable. Further research efforts are needed to establish better screening methods for the BDD in the plastic surgical patient population and to examine the effects of BDD on treatment results.