A Prospective Study of Patients Presenting With Pre-sternal Keloids

Keloid represents a pathological form of scarring. They are very common in the anterior chest area; nearly 50% of all keloids occur in this location. One of the reasons for this is that folliculitis and acne, known for triggering the development of keloids, are common on the anterior chest. The other reason is the tension load in this area due to the frequent movements of the upper limbs and the respiratory movements. These movements stretch the skin of the anterior chest horizontally. When this cyclical tension is imposed on the anterior chest wounds, there is an exacerbation and prolongation of the inflammation in the reticular dermis of the wound. These stresses induce the growth of keloids along the prevailing lines of skin tension.

We performed a prospective study in which patients were recruited over a period of one year. Patients presenting with symptomatic pre-sternal keloids and requesting treatment but were unwilling to undergo surgical intervention were included in this study. Patients with a history of previous thoracic surgery were excluded. Baseline assessment and documentation of the lesion were performed. The study patients received three sessions of intralesional injections of a combination of triamcinolone acetonide and hyaluronidase at four weekly intervals. The final assessment was performed four weeks after the third session.

The study included 47 lesions in 47 patients with ages of the patients ranging from 16 to 70 years. Pre-sternal keloids were found to be more common among males than females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.35:1. Patients presented with pre-sternal keloids that had been present for varying periods ranging from three to 81 months. All of our 47 patients completed the three sessions of the treatment. Following the treatment, there was an improvement in the patient's symptoms, as evidenced by the reduction in the mean pruritis scores and pain scores. There was an overall reduction in the size of the lesion. The decrease in the height of the lesions was more evident than the reduction in the craniocaudal or transverse dimensions of the lesions. There were improvements in Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) vascularity scores and pliability scores following the treatment.

We conclude that pre-sternal keloids should be considered as a distinct clinico-pathological entity. There are differences with regard to pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management when compared to keloids elsewhere. Treatment with intralesional injections of a combination of triamcinolone acetonide and hyaluronidase effectively relieves the symptoms and may be considered in patients not willing to undergo surgical intervention. Recurrences can occur and need further treatments.