Medical and Surgical Management of Keloids: A Review

Keloids and hypertrophic scars are abnormal responses to wound healing. In general, keloids may exhibit proliferative growth beyond the margins of the scar and will remain persistent; whereas hypertrophic scars will stay contained to the original wound and may regress over time. The authors will discuss the five different types of keloid: post-incisional, ear lobe, spontaneous, acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) and sessile. Many medical and surgical modalities have been studied in the treatment of these two entities, ranging from silicone sheets, intralesional corticosteroid injections, cryosurgery, ligation, 5- fluorouracil, Allium cepa (onion) extract, lasers, imiquimod, interferon-α and intralesional verapamil and surgical excision. This review will discuss the pathogenesis, types and treatments for keloids and hypertrophic scars.