Empfehlungen zur Prävention und Therapie hypertropher Narben und Keloide

Surgical Considerations In Skin of Colour

For most clinicians undertaking surgery and patients undergoing surgery, the primary aim is the success of the operation being undertaken. The secondary aim is for optimal wound healing with minimal scar formation. The normal wound healing process involves four distinct but overlapping stages: Haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling. In some patients the cellular process involved in the proliferation and remodelling stages can be deranged, resulting in the formation of hypertrophic or keloid scars. This is more frequently seen in skin of Colour. Excessive scarring is thought to be first described in the Smith papyrus about 1700 BC. Many years later Mancini (in 1962) and Peacock (in 1970) classified excessive scarring into hypertrophic and keloid scar formation. Clinicians can minimize the risk of these pathological scars developing with good pre-operative, peri-operative/intra-operative and post-operative surgical practices. We review the wound healing processes in association with good surgical principles and practice, discuss how implementing these principles in practice helps in prevention and management of pathological surgical scars such as hypertrophic scars and keloid scars. This review offers a practical step by step clinical guide that can be used by any clinician.

Intralesional verapamil in the treatment of keloids: A clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical study

INTRODUCTION

The histopathological changes and immunohistochemical studies occurring in keloids in vivo after treatment by intralesional (IL) verapamil are not yet assessed. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety as well as the histological/immunohistochemical effects of intralesional verapamil on keloids.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one patients with 43 keloids were treated with IL verapamil at 3-week intervals until reaching complete flattening of the lesion or for a maximum of 6 sessions. Keloid biopsies were obtained before and after treatment for evaluation of histopathological changes and the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF and MMP9.

RESULTS

Of 43 keloids, 6 keloids (14%) and 17 (39.5%) showed excellent and good improvement, respectively, with no significant side effects except for pain at the site of injection. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations were consistent with the clinical observations after treatment, and there was a statistically significant decrease in VEGF and MMP9 expressions after treatment.

CONCLUSION

IL verapamil is effective in the treatment of keloids which is possibly attributed to suppression of MMP9 and VEGF. It is a simple and relatively safe treatment method for keloids.

Spontaneous symmetrical giant keloids at the bilateral labia majora: a case report

Keloids are caused by an imbalance between collagen matrix decomposition and production during wound repair. Spontaneous keloids are a rare type of keloid that arise without a significant history of trauma or surgery. We herein report a case involving a 59-year-old woman with symmetric neoplasms at the bilateral labia majora that had persisted for about 3 years and a >10-year history of pruritus and pain at the bilateral labia majora with folliculitis. The bilateral labia majora gradually swelled and lost their normal physiological morphology. The patient was diagnosed with keloids. Under general anesthesia, the keloids were resected. The right incision was sutured directly and the left was closed using an inguinal flap. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered after the surgery. No recurrence of the keloids was observed at the 1-year follow-up, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance of the vulvar region. This is the first report of spontaneous symmetrical giant keloids at the bilateral labia majora, and it emphasizes the importance of the effect of abnormal inflammation on keloid formation. Repairing genital defects using an inguinal flap has only a minor effect on the patient’s postoperative movement, and an ideal vulvar appearance can be achieved.

Effectiveness and Safety of an Overnight Patch Containing Allium cepa Extract and Allantoin for Post-Dermatologic Surgery Scars

Background

An occlusive overnight intensive patch medical device (OIP) containing onion extract and allantoin has been developed for preventing and treating dermatologic scars and keloids. Here, we examined the efficacy and safety of the OIP for post-dermatologic surgery scars.

Methods

This was an intra-individual randomized, observer-blind, controlled study in adults with post-dermatologic surgery scars. Two scars per subject were randomized to no treatment or overnight treatment with the OIP for 12–24 weeks. Scar quality was assessed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and a Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale.

Results

A total of 125 subjects were included. The decrease in observer-assessed POSAS from baseline was significantly greater for treated than untreated scars at week 6 (p < 0.001) and 24 (p = 0.001). The decrease in patient-assessed POSAS was significantly greater for the treated scar than the untreated scar at week 12 (p = 0.017) and 24 (p = 0.014). Subject- and investigator-evaluated Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores were higher for the treated than the untreated scar at all visits. All subjects considered the global comfort of the OIP to be good or very good, and no safety concerns were identified.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that the OIP safely promotes scar healing after minor dermatologic surgery.

Level of Evidence II

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Botulinum toxin A for the treatment of keloids

INTRODUCTION

Keloids are the result of excessive scar tissue formation. Besides their poor aesthetic appearance, keloids can be associated with severe clinical symptoms such as pain, itching, and rigidity. Unfortunately, most therapeutic approaches remain clinically unsatisfactory. Recently, injections with botulinum toxin A (BTA) were proposed for the treatment of established keloids in a clinical trial. In this study, we aimed to verify the effects of intralesional BTA for the treatment of therapy-resistant keloids using objective measurements. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated using cultured keloid-derived fibroblasts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four patients received BTA (doses varying from 70 to 140 Speywood units per session) injected directly into their keloids every 2 months for up to 6 months. Differences in height and volume were evaluated clinically and measured with a 3-D optical profiling system. Keloid-derived fibroblasts were treated with different concentrations of BTA, and expression of collagen (COL)1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, fibronectin-1, laminin-β2, and α-SMA was determined by real-time quantitative PCR. MTT and BrdU assays were used to analyze the effects of BTA on fibroblast proliferation and metabolism.

RESULTS

Intralesional administration of BTA did not result in regression of keloid tissue. No differences in expression of ECM markers, collagen synthesis, or TGF-β could be observed after BTA treatment of keloid fibroblasts. In addition, cell proliferation and metabolism of keloid fibroblasts was not affected by BTA treatment.

CONCLUSION

The suggested clinical efficiency of intralesional BTA for the therapy of existent keloids could not be confirmed in this study. Based on our data, the potential mechanisms of action of BTA on keloid-derived fibroblasts remain unclear.