Microcirculation in hypertrophic scars after burn injury

Hypertrophic scar formation is a common complication after burn injury. Early active scars show hyperemic appearances that change as the scar matures. This is a report on microcirculation in hypertrophic scars after burn injury among 50 Chinese patients with a laser Doppler flowmeter. The average period of follow-up for the patients was 20 months. The microcirculatory response in scars to vasodilation (heat) stimulus was studied. Significant differences (p less than 0.0001) were demonstrated between scars of different clinical grades of maturity when compared with normal skin. The qualitative and quantitative differences in microcirculatory blood flow were correlated with site variations and different physiologic demands from different grades of scars. The study showed that laser Doppler flowmetry was useful in the clinical grading assessment of or for scar maturity.