Validation of the Skindex-16 questionnaire in patients with skin diseases in Morocco.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to translate and adapt the original version of the Skindex-16 questionnaire from English to Moroccan Arabic language, refining its terms and adapting it to Moroccan culture. METHODS: After translation and cross-cultural adaptation, the questionnaire was tested on skin diseases patients. Internal consistency was tested using Cronbach's α coefficient, the test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was assessed by examining item convergent and divergent validity. RESULTS: The questionnaire was administered to 120 patients. The mean age of patients was 39 years (SD: 16), 49.6% were married. 76.9% of all participants lived in an urban area. The average time to complete the Skindex-16 questionnaire was 5 min. Questionnaire reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α coefficient, in which the values were all > 0.7. All items exceeded the 0.4 criterion for convergent validity. CONCLUSION: In general, the findings of this study indicated that the authors have developed a semantically equivalent translation of Skindex-16 into Moroccan Arabic. It is a reliable and valid measure of the effects of skin disease on the quality of life in Moroccan patients.

Eccrine carcinoma : a rare cutaneous neoplasm.

Eccrine carcinoma is an extremely rare malignancy of the skin with few well documented cases reported in the literature. It is frequently found on the lower extremities, and it equally affects both sexes in the sixth and seventh decade.In our case, we present a 46- year-old female with a recurring exophytic tumor on the right lower extremity, without local extension.The initial tumor was biopsied, excised and diagnosed as an eccrine carcinoma. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/3568051328673318.