![]() Mukta states “Keloids are more a cosmetic nuisance and will not cause any harm locally or systemically. While leaving them alone seems a good thing to do, do untreated keloids cause any harm? Putting things in perspective, Dr. My dictum is not to touch a patient with a keloid.” Injections can be given in case of keloids getting bigger. That might slow down the activity of new cells and prevent recurrence. ![]() Sometimes with a small keloid one can excise it, put a small graft and administer radiotherapy. Narendra Pandya, Mumbai-based plastic surgeon, says “Surgery is extremely unhelpful. ![]() The point to note is that surgery does not seem to be a viable option as the keloids can recur. Modes of treatment vary from steroid injections to external creams and laser therapy. They are equally common in men and women although seen more frequently in women due to increased earlobe and body piercing.” Keloids are less common in children and elderly people. Certain races like Asians, Indians and African Americans and Negroid races - basically people with darker skin types - are more prone to keloids, although they can occur in people of all skin types. People who already have one keloid are prone to developing other keloids at other sites of injury or even spontaneously.”Īnd if you want a profile of keloid patients Dr. Murlidhar Rajagopalan observes, “There does appear to be a familial tendency in a small percentage of patients. Today, when every other disease can be traced back to a faulty gene, there is no such clinching evidence for keloids. Finally they can be seen over body piercing sites and tattoo sites.” They are also found at the site of acne lesions (a specific condition called acne keloidalis) surgery scar sites and sites of trauma or injury. Mukta points out, “Keloids are commonly seen over the sternal region or the midline of the chest where there is little or no fat besides the back, shoulders and earlobes. The location of the keloids also provides some insights. This results in a scar with excess packed fibre and can be attributed to an abnormal wound healing process that lacks the control mechanisms, which regulate tissue repair. Murlidhar, “Excessive matrix accumulation and cell proliferation are distinctive features of keloid lesions. While nature's healing process ensures that most wounds heal without a problem, sometimes the complex mechanisms involved get messed up. Some appear spontaneously the initiating event may even be an insignificant hair root or acne infection, which heals into a keloid.” Murlidhar Rajagopalan, Senior Consultant Dermatologist, Chennai, “Keloids are pathologic scars that continue to grow and extend beyond the confines of the original wound. Compared to regular scars, keloids by and large do not subside over time.”Īdds Dr. Keloids also have an irregular shape and enlarge progressively. It usually has a smooth top and a pink or purple colour. ![]() Mukta Sachdev, Consultant Dermatologist, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, says “A keloid - sometimes referred to as a keloid scar - is a tough scar that rises on certain areas of the skin. The diagnosis: a keloid.ĭescribing a keloid, Dr. When 15-year-old Deepika* visited her dermatologist she had a plum-sized pedunculated growth on the ear lobe, which became evident six months after an ear piercing. On consulting the dermatologist he was informed that he had developed a keloid and would require treatment to relieve the itching and flatten it. But, during the next six months he developed itching and thickening over the incision site. The procedure and post-operative recovery were uncomplicated. Pankaj*, a 60 year old male of fair complexion, underwent a mitral valve replacement. Although the dermatologist took utmost precaution and removed a very small piece of skin, a second keloid formed. Years later Poornima had to have a skin biopsy to diagnose a skin allergy. The wound healed but formed a thick scar called a keloid. By the time she got home and taken to her family doctor the cotton had dried up in the wound. In the first aid room, a small wad of dry cotton with some medication was placed over the wound. Poornima* was 12 when she fell on a manhole cover in school and grazed her knee badly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |