Peer-reviewed article
The Quality of Life Impact of Vascular Anomalies on Patients and Their Families: Experience of a Tertiary Australian Centre.
Chow KLG, Fong G, Truong K, Luu W, Wong LC ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study measured the quality of life impact of vascular anomalies (birthmarks and blood vessel malformations) on 25 Australian children and their 27 family members. Children reported difficulties with clothing choices and sports participation, while families experienced emotional stress and concern about others' reactions. The appearance-related impacts were significant, suggesting that cosmetic treatments could improve well-being for affected children and families.
Key points
- Mean CDLQI score was 5 and FDLQI score was 6, indicating moderate quality-of-life impact
- Children most commonly reported impact on clothing choices and sports participation
- Families most commonly reported emotional stress and concerns about others' reactions
- Skin colour changes from vascular anomalies were identified as a major source of quality-of-life impact
- Study suggests cosmetic interventions could improve overall well-being of this patient population
Limitations
The study is small (25 children) and limited to one tertiary centre in Australia, which may not represent the broader Australian population or other settings. The cross-sectional design provides only a snapshot and cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships or long-term impacts.
Abstract
Aim Chronic paediatric conditions often significantly impact the patients' and their families' quality of life (QoL). There is a paucity in the medical literature around the QoL impact of paediatric vascular anomalies on patients and their families in the Australian context. This study aims to address this gap. Methods We conducted a three-month prospective questionnaire study using the children's dermatology life quality index (CDLQI), the outcome measures for vascular malformations (OVAMA), and the family dermatology life quality index (FDLQI). Results Twenty-five paediatric patients and 27 family members were recruited for the study. The mean scores for CDLQI, FDLQI, and OVAMA were 5, 6, and 33 respectively. The most reported QoL impact reported by paediatric patients was change of clothing and participation in sports whilst the most reported QoL impact reported by family is emotional stress and other people's reactions. The OVAMA questionnaire results highlight the significant impact caused by the change of colour of the skin due to vascular anomaly, which corresponds to the QoL impact reflected by the CDLQI and FDLQI surveys. Conclusions This study highlights the appearance-related quality-of-life impact of vascular anomaly experienced by both patients and their families within the Australian context. The findings underscore the potential benefit of cosmetic interventions in improving the overall well-being of this patient population.