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| Definition: | Keloids are an overgrowth of scar tissue at the site of a skin injury.
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| Alternative Names: | Hypertrophic scar; Keloid scar; Scar - hypertrophic
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| Causes, incidence, and risk factors: | Keloids occur from such skin injuries as surgical incisions, traumatic wounds, vaccination sites, burns, chickenpox, acne, or even minor scratches. They are fairly common in young women and African Americans. Keloidosis (cheloidosis) is a term used when multiple or repeated keloids are produced.
Most keloids will flatten and become less noticeable over a period of several years. They may become irritated from rubbing on clothing or other forms of friction. Extensive keloids may become binding, limiting mobility. They may cause cosmetic changes and affect the appearance. Exposure to the sun during the first year of keloid formation will cause the keloid to preferentially tan. This dark coloration may become permanent.
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Review Date: 7/28/2001
Reviewed By: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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