Novel, Validated 5-Point Photonumeric Scales for Assessment of the Perioral Region

BACKGROUND: The use of validated scales is still considered the gold standard in evaluating the severity of an aesthetic facial condition.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this investigation was to create and validate 5-point photo numeric scales which assess perioral lines and marionette lines.

METHODS: A medical team created two different novel 5-point photonumeric scale for the assessment of perioral lines and marionette lines. Eleven international raters were involved in the digital validation, while 4 raters performed a live validation.

RESULTS: For the Croma Static Perioral Lines-Assessment Scale digital inter-rater ICCs were 0.88 [95% CI: 0.85-0.91] in the first rating and 0.87 [0.83-0.90] in the second rating. The digital intra-rater ICCs were 0.90 [95% CI: 0.87-0.92]. In the live rating, the inter-rater ICCs were 0.89 [95% CI: 0.85-0.93] in the first rating and 0.91 [95% CI: 0.87-0.93] in the second rating with an intra-rater ICC of 0.91 [95% CI: 0.88-0.95]. For the Croma Marionette Lines-Assessment scale the digital rating inter-rater ICCs were 0.85 [95% CI: 0.81-0.89] in the first rating and 0.87 [95% CI: 0.84-0.90] in the second rating with an intra-rater ICC of 0.89 [95% CI: 0.88-0.91]. In the live rating, the inter-rater ICCs were 0.73 [95% CI: 0.54-0.83] in the first rating and 0.79 [95% CI: 0.65-0.87] in the second rating with an intra-rater ICC of 0.88 [95% CI: 0.83-0.94].

CONCLUSIONS: It is to be concluded that the Croma Static Perioral Lines-Assessment Scale and the Croma Marionette Lines-Assessment Scale have exceptional inter- and intra-rater agreements to be justifiably used in the clinical and study setting for all ethnic groups.