• Turki Al-Drees, Ahmad Albosaily, Latifa Alanazi, Sami Alharethy, Ghada AlHindi, Ahmed Altuwaijri, and Saleh Aldhahri.
• Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. pt.Turki@hotmail.com.
• Saudi Med J. 2019 Jun 1; 40 (6): 590-594.

ObjectivesTo translate and validate an Arabic version of the patient scar assessment scale (PSAS). The cosmetic appearance of a thyroidectomy scar can critically influence a patient's self-esteem. Moreover, scar evaluation tools are necessary for an evidence-based approach to scar management.MethodsThis  quantitative, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted by administering an Arabic-translated version of the PSAS. The translation process included a forward translation into Arabic by 3 fluently bilingual otolaryngologists, a back-translation into English, and a comparison with the original items. The questionnaires were distributed to patients who underwent thyroidectomies. We included patients who underwent surgery at least 2 months previously.ResultsA total of 50 patients were included in this research. The internal consistency was 0.89, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.88-0.90. The score distributions showed high correlations for all items. The Arabic-translated PSAS showed good test-retest reliability, and the Pearson correlation coefficient between the test and retest administrations was 0.84 (p<0.001). With a possible range of 6-60 points, the standard error of the mean was 5.14, and the minimal detectable change was 14.2.ConclusionThis Arabic version of the PSAS was reliable for use in Arabic-speaking communities. It will allow for comparisons between the results of investigations conducted in different countries, which aids in the exchange of information within the international scientific community.

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