Pediatric scalp burns: hair today, gone tomorrow?

[Tissue expansion in child's burn reconstruction. Management principles and eleven years retrospective study of 42 patients]

PURPOSE

With constraints and a risk of complication, tissue expansion in child's burn sequelae need a controlled surgical procedure, and a therapeutic plan appropriate to the specific pediatric healing, growth, and development.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Our principles of management and technical points are described. A retrospective study of tissue expansion in child's burn sequelae between 2005 and 2016 is submitted.

RESULTS

There are 185 expanders, 98 protocols in 41 children, over half of sequelae concerning scalp, neck and chest. Mean age at the first expansion was 10.3 years old (5.8 years after burn). There are in average 2,4 (1-8) protocols by patient, with 1.9 (1-4) expanders by procedure. Surgical repair was a flap (78.8%), a full-thickness skin graft (13.3%) or both. Fifteen patients (30 expanders (14.6%) and 22 protocols (22.4%)), had expansion's complications, mostly infections and expositions. Eight patients (14 expanders (7.6%) and 10 protocols (10.2%)) had reconstructive's complications. An increase of burn area was a risk factor of complication (significant). Complicated expanders rate by location was 7.9% (scalp), 12.5% (neck), 9.8% (supraclavicular), 10.5% (chest), 19.4% (abdomen), 30% (buttock), 29.4% (lower limb), 1/2 (face).

CONCLUSION

Tissue expansion in child's burn sequelae is ideal in scalp, good in neck, chest and proximal upper limb, and to do carefully in lower limb and face.