• Mohammed A AlShahwan.
• Dermatology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. malshahwan@ksu.edu.sa.
• Saudi Med J. 2020 Jan 1; 41 (1): 737873-78.

Objectives  To explore how prevalent body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is among Arab dermatology patients and what characteristics of  patients are associated with it.Methods  A total of 497 patients from the dermatology outpatient clinic at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, participated in this cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2018. We asked the patients about their demographic and clinical characteristics, and then asked them to complete a dermatology-based self-report BDD questionnaire. Following this, we appointed 2 independent researchers to evaluate the dermatological flaws highlighted in the patient questionnaires and rate them using a severity scale.ResultsBody dysmorphic disorder was found in 14.1% of Arab dermatology patients. There were significant links between female with BDD (odds ration [OR]: 2.93;  95% CI 1.24, 6.9]), having 2 or more skin conditions with BDD (OR: 4.67; 95% CI 1.33, 16.49) and having a certain skin condition such as hyperpigmentation with BDD (OR: 5.86; 95% CI 1.46, 23.61). The biggest BDD concerns were hyperpigmentation, acne, and hair loss. Conclusion: Body dysmorphic disorder was common among Arab dermatology patients, especially among women and those who have hyperpigmentation or more than one skin condition.

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