Effect of Dermal Thickness on Scars in Women with Type III-IV Fitzpatrick Skin

Both patients and physicians desire minimal scarring after surgical procedures. The removal of foreign bodies from around the wound, prevention of infection, and wound closure without tension is recommended for reducing scarring. The reasons underlying the differing appearance of scars between different anatomical regions of the same individual are not fully understood. Moreover, to our knowledge, the relationship between incision width and dermal thickness in different anatomical regions has yet to be investigated. Hence, in the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of dermal thickness on scar formation.

Fifty patients who were treated and followed up for breast hypertrophy between 2010 and 2013 were retrospectively investigated. In all patients, a 2 × 2-cm skin biopsy specimen was obtained from the medial right breast at the horizontal line of the T scar. A routine superomedial pedicle breast reduction was subsequently performed. The extracted excision materials and skin biopsy specimens were examined pathologically. Dermal thickness was measured from the starting point of the subcutaneous tissue to the end point of the epidermis, at four different sites. The average dermal thickness was then calculated for each patient. The skin color of all patients was determined according to the Fitzpatrick classification. Scar width was measured in three different regions, including a combination of the vertical and horizontal portions of the T scar and the flap confluence. After the measurements, the scars were evaluated for vascularity, pigmentation, elasticity, thickness, and height by two plastic surgeons and a clinical nurse, who were blinded to patient data.

The mean age of the 50 female patients was 40.8 years (range 18-65 years). The average follow-up period was 16 months (range 12-18 months). An average of 987.5 g (range 505-1621 g) of breast and fatty tissue was removed. The average dermal thickness was 4.99 mm (range 3.5-6.8 mm). The most common skin type was Fitzpatrick type IV (33 patients). The average total scar score was 14 (range 8-25). The total scar score was not significantly associated with dermal thickness. The scar width in patients with a dermal thickness of <0.5 cm was narrower than that in patients with a dermal thickness of ≥0.5 cm. Scar vascularity and noticeability were observed less often in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type III, regardless of scar width.

The study findings show that increased dermal thickness is a risk factor for wide scar formation.

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