Hypertrophic scars and keloids - Contemporary concepts and treatment options

Abstract

Wound reparative process after surgery, burns, injuries, and in-flammatory processes results in a spectrum of scar formation ranging from nearly scarless healing to excessive fibrosis or atrophy. Scarring is considered a major medical problem that leads to aesthetic and functional sequelae. Scar tissue is clinically distinguished from normal skin by an aberrant color, rough surface tex-ture, increased thickness (hypertrophy), occurrence of contraction, and firmness. In the last decade, the concept of wound healing kinetics has been developed to describe the delicate balance of cell activity involved in scar formation and re-modeling. Hypertrophic scars and keloids are formed as a result of the process of abnormal wound healing. Despite all that has been written on improving the ap-pearance of these types of scars, there are no definitive management protocols. The aim of the present article is to make a brief review of the basic wound healing, while focusing on medicine's latest understanding of the development and treat-ment of keloids and hypertrophic scars.