Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Rhinoplasty Candidates: Prevalence and Functional Correlations

Background Rhinoplasty is one of the most commonly performed aesthetic/functional procedures worldwide. Among those who seek rhinoplasty are those whose aesthetic defect is interpreted by themselves disproportionately, leading to significant suffering. These are given the diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). They commonly have high expectations regarding the surgical outcome and are often not satisfied postoperatively. The present study aimed to correlate BDD with the patient's self-assessment of nasal function, analysing whether BDD would have any influence on it. In addition, we verified the prevalence of the disorder in our population. Methods Cross-sectional, comparative and analytical study. Eighty-eight patients participated in the trial, 57 of them being candidates for rhinoplasty, rhinoplasty group (RG), and 31 from a random population, control group (CG). Through self-assessment, the BDSS, The Utrecht, SNOT-22 and NOSE questionnaires were applied. Patients with BDSS score >= 6 were considered as positive for BDD. Comparisons were made between the groups and among the candidates for rhinoplasty with positive or negative BDD. Results The prevalence of the disorder was 35.1% in the RG and 3.2% in the CG. Significantly, higher NOSE and SNOT-22 scores, reflecting worse nasal function, were obtained by the RG, especially in those with positive screening for BDD, when compared to those with negative screening (p < 0.05). Conclusions BDD affects about one-third of the rhinoplasty candidate population. Their presence seems to exert a negative influence on the patients' self-assessment regarding their nasal function.

Automated summary

The study revealed that approximately one-third of rhinoplasty candidates suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Among these patients, BDD appears to have a negative impact on their self-assessment of nasal function.