-IBIS-1.5.0-
tx
cutaneous system
keloid/scar tissue
diagnoses

definition and etiology

definition: mark left in skin where damaged tissue has been replaced with connective tissue; a keloid is a smooth overgrowth of fibroblastic tissue that occasionally develops spontaneously, but usually occurs following trauma to an area

etiology: Keloids are scars that grow to abnormal proportions. Keloids are seen more frequently in black people, and may arise over regions where the patient had extensive acne vulgaris. Interestingly, in some African tribes, keloids are deliberately formed by repeated self-inflicted wounds as part of tribal ritual.

signs and symptoms

signs and symptoms:
• scar tissue: this is generally asymptomatic, but may be irritating or painful in several circumstances, particularly in the presence of deep non-absorbable sutures or adhesions to adjacent tissue
• keloid: shiny, smooth, pinkish, and often dome-shaped; most often seen on the back, chest, and deltoid areas; mostly asymptomatic but may become irritated by contact

course and prognosis

• scars may be resectioned if there is a severe problem with irritation; injection of lidocaine and/or saline into scar adhesions can break them and considerably reduce discomfort
• there is no conventional treatment for keloids, as skin with a tendency to keloid formation will form them again when a keloid is surgically removed

differential diagnosis

• none


footnotes