Factors Influencing Hypertrophic Scarring after Thyroidectomy

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Dermatology
• Endocrine Surgery

Background:

• Hypertrophic scarring (HS) is a common complication after thyroidectomy.
• Identifying risk factors is crucial for effective prevention and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for hypertrophic scarring (HS) following thyroidectomy.
• To develop and validate a predictive model for HS after thyroidectomy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from thyroidectomy patients (November 2018 - March 2019).
• Comparison of patients with and without HS using univariate and binary logistic regression.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the predictive model.

Main Results:

• The incidence of HS was 31.4% (121/385 patients).
• Independent risk factors identified: age ≤ 45 years, history of abnormal wound healing, history of pathologic scarring, family history of pathologic scarring, and absence of preventive scar measures.
• The risk prediction model demonstrated good predictive value (Area Under Curve = 0.837).

Conclusions:

• Several factors contribute to the development of HS post-thyroidectomy.
• The developed risk prediction model shows significant potential for identifying patients at high risk.
• Findings support clinical decision-making for targeted scar prevention and treatment strategies.