The relationship between skin color and keloid

Abstract

Introduction: Keloid is a fibroproliferative tumor with excessive growth caused by an abnormality in the wound healing process. Several factors are contributing to the development of keloid, such as genetics, local and systemic factors. Keloid can happen in any skin color, but more common in darker skin colors related to melanocytes, melanin, or α-MSH. Color bar tool is an objective and economical tool used to determine each skin color. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between skin color and keloid. Methods: This is an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional method that includes 44 keloid subjects and 44 controls according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sex, age, education, job, family history were documented. Diagnosis of keloid was made by history taking and clinical examination. The skin color is measured with the color bar tool. Kruskal Wallis test was used to determine the relationship between skin color and keloid. The result was significant, with a p-value <0.05. Results: Keloids were found primarily in females (58.8%), 18-25 years old age group (40.9%), and unemployed (40.9%). The majority of the subjects have high education (47.7%) and no family history of keloid (63.6%). The most common location was the sternum (18.9%), followed by the abdominal (15.0%). This study found that the most documented skin color was color bar 2 (54.5%), followed by color bar 3 (29.5%). We found that there was a significant relationship between skin color and keloid (p=0.026). Conclusion: There was a relationship between skin color and keloid.