KELOID – SCAR TUMOUR by Dr S. Chidambaranathan B.H.M.S, M.D Homeopathy Doctor Madurai (Treatment avail for all people around the world)
Moles (natural or birthmarks – also known as god’s mark or luck mark) and scar (artificial or accidental mark – also known as devil’s mark) play a major role in forensic medicine in identifying a person, since they cannot be erased easily. They can be considered as landmark in our body which stay throughout our life. A keloid is a scar tumour which is supposed to be a larger scar. So, one needs to know about scar before learning about keloid.
A keloid is a scar tumour where our body/skin keeps on supporting the injured spot with more and more collagen fibres to make the spot more and more strengthened. It can be considered as an overreaction to the injury or disease immediately after or later. Keloid usually progresses slowly in size and width. It never disappears or reverts back to normal on its own.
Incidence – Keloids are most commonly seen in blacks. They also seem to run in families. They can occur in any age at any occasion irrespective of sex. Mostly they follow or occur in injured spots. Sometimes, they can occur without any injury or skin lesions.
Common Sites – Even though they can appear at any spot, the common victims are chest, shoulders and back. They also commonly occur in surgery suture spots (chest in open heart surgery), in injection spots (arm, ear lobe, etc) and in skin grafted places.
Causes
Even though the exact cause or gene transmission cannot be predicted and proved clearly, the keloid most commonly starts with injury or skin lesions (diseases). Delay in healing of the wound mostly seems to be the precursor of the scar formation. This tendency to scar formation often leads to keloid later. It is most commonly seen in burns (where skin is deeply affected) and in open heart surgery cases. It is important to note tattooing spots are also more vulnerable to develop keloid growth.
Symptoms – Mostly, smooth, purple coloured raised swelling will be the one and only symptom of keloid, i.e., mainly cosmetic disfigurement. But depending upon its size, place andextension/expansion, it can cause further symptoms, i.e. pain, burning sensation, itching, ulcer, restriction of movement, etc. But most often patients consult doctors with concern more for cosmetic disfigurement only. Even though it need not be feared for becoming cancerous tumours, the cosmetic disfigurement often makes one depressed.
Diagnosis – Even though appearance, i.e. raised and spreading scar, with history of injury in the specified spot itself betrays the possibility of keloid, confirmation can be sought by biopsy and histo-pathological reports.
Complications – Mostly there won’t be any complications. But depending upon the places (bends and joints), treatments (steroidal injections or external irritant applications) and other sufferings ( diabetes, neurological disorders, etc.), complication may arise. On getting a flare up, it can cause more pain and itching and can finally end in contractures and restriction of movement in the affected spots.
Prevention – Always prevention is better than cure. This has been proven in the case of keloid too. So, early care must be taken for all wound healing. People who have the tendency to develop keloid should be careful to avoid skin lesions and surgery. If necessary, surgery should be performed by expert hands with the precaution to avoid suture over bends and joints and to take intensive care in wound healing. Supplements like vitamins (especially vitamin E) and minerals can be taken to heal the wound at the earliest. It is also wise not to rub or scratch or apply any irritants on the spot to prevent it from growing further or forming ulcerations.
Treatment – Most often, keloid is left untreated by modern school of medicine. If the sufferer insists more due to cosmetic disfigurement or due to hindrance of normal function of life due to big swelling, then doctors will provide steroidal injections on the spot to arrest/regress the growth. If it is not responding, then they go for surgical removal /excision with or without plastic surgery. Both ways, recurrences are more common and no one can guarantee that it will not recur. Also, sometimes, after surgery, keloid growth may recur with flare up i.e., more in size than previously. Also, there are various other treatment like cryosurgery, radiation therapy, laser therapy, etc. Each one has its own complications. Most times, their adverse effect will be more than their benefits.
Most people with keloid will suffer silently, tolerating all the pain without knowing what to do and how to proceed with it. Considering keloid as a pure surgical disorder (even though it can’t solve it permanently) nobody thinks of Homeopathy for treatment. But, Homeopathy can treat keloid well. In Homeopathy, removal of keloid with surgery is considered as the removal of effects of the disease and not the removal of the cause or disease itself, leading to recurrence of keloid in the same spot or in other spots. Homeopathy is a natural way to help the body by supporting the body’s own process of healing and expelling the disease force by itself. The Homeopathy medicine not only relieves the pain of the keloid, but also treats the condition to regress.