Postburn Scars: An Update

Abstract

Burn wounds give rise to the largest scars we can find in human pathology, influencing patients' quality of life. Despite the improved knowledge on pathophysiology, efficacy of the various treatments remains unsatisfactory. In this short review recent literature is examined with a focus on recent data on postburn pathological scars epidemiology and risk factors, which underline the high prevalence and the long evolution, pointing to identify this illness as a systemic inflammatory one, more frequent in women and in those of younger age, regulated by local factors relevant in wound healing.

An exploration of burn survivors' experiences of Pressure Garment Therapy at a tertiary hospital in South Africa

“…Hypertrophic scarring is associated with high levels of morbidity and can lead to physical and psychological impairments 5,13,14 . In a synthesis of qualitative research, Kornhaber and colleagues 14 provide vivid narratives in which burn survivors explore and explain the physical, psychological and social impacts of scarring, which include pain, loss of range of movement, changed body image, depression and social stigmatisation.…”

“…Literature reviews indicate that PGT is a time consuming, expensive and demanding regime 1,5,6,7,11,13,16 . Treatment recommendations for optimal outcomes require that the garments are worn 23 hours per day and provide consistent and adequate pressure until scar maturation is attained, usually after 12-24 months 1,5,6,13,16 . This requires patience and motivation as changes in the appearance of scars are slow and improvements are only noted through careful observation PGT in their exploration of the lived experiences of eight people in the United Kingdom.…”

Efficacy of the combination of herbal extracts and a silicone derivative in the treatment of hypertrophic scar formation after burn injury

“…These preventions usually include topical medical application, cryotherapy, the use of silicone gel sheets, the injection of steroids, radiotherapy and an early surgical procedure for wound closure. Recent reports have introduced the use of extracts from natural sources such as plant extracts in an attempt to correct these problems (Muangman et al, 2006;Stella et al, 2008;Zurada et al, 2006).…”

On the surgical treatment of hypertrophic scars: a comprehensive guideline for the surgical treatment of hypertrophic scars

“…Many scars become hypertrophic in the proliferation phase and subsequently regress in normotrophic tissue within one year. When the evolution of a scar in time is completely different from the regular course of wound healing it is seen as a pathological form of scarring [11,12] (Fig. 1).…”