de Mesquita CJG. About strawberry, crab claws, and the Sir James Black's invention. Hypothesis: can we battle keloids with propranolol?
Med Hypotheses 2009;
74:353-9. [PMID:
19758768 DOI:
10.1016/j.mehy.2009.08.035]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Revised: 08/13/2009] [Accepted: 08/15/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The cutaneous hemangiomas of infancy or infantile hemangiomas are the most common benign tumor of childhood. They were formerly known as strawberry hemangiomas in reason of its typical appearance although uncommon morphologic variations can be found. Usually hemangiomas are harmless growths that are the result of proliferation of endothelial cells during early childhood. Involution of the lesion occurs at 12-18 months and can last up to 7 years. Occasionally, infantile hemangiomas suffer dramatic overgrowth causing esthetical damages, as well compromises to vital structures that requires prompt intervention. Propranolol, a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist that was invented by Sir James Black in 1960s, appears to be an effective treatment for infantile hemangiomas and should now be used as a first-line treatment in hemangiomas when intervention is required. Keloids (that resembles crab claws) and hypertrophic scars are fibrous tissue outgrowths that result from a derailment in the normal wound-healing process. Systemic or intralesional propranolol may play a role in the amelioration of keloids and hypertrophic scars due to their potential to induce vasoconstriction of over proliferating tissues, triggering apoptosis of endothelial cells and also to their effect as modulator of inflammatory process during wound healing. In adding the propranolol to the melting pot of abnormal (or supra-normal) wound healing, we hypothesized that we can battle keloids with propranolol.
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