Which feature is more typical of a keloid than a hypertrophic scar?

Which feature is more typical of a keloid than a hypertrophic scar?

• A. Expansion beyond margins of the inciting injury
• B. Fades spontaneously over time
• C. Remains within the original scar margins
• D. Occurs only after burns

Answer: (A)

Keloids expand beyond the boundaries of the original injury because scar tissue grows exuberantly and invades surrounding skin. This outward extension is the defining feature that sets a keloid apart from a hypertrophic scar, which remains within the original scar borders. Hypertrophic scars may be raised and thickened but tend to stay contained and can even improve over time, whereas keloids persist and often do not regress. Therefore, the characteristic most typical of a keloid is growth that extends beyond the margins of the inciting injury. The idea that it fades spontaneously over time fits hypertrophic scars more than keloids, and staying within the original scar margins describes hypertrophic scars, not keloids. Keloids can occur after various skin injuries, not only burns.

Keloids expand beyond the boundaries of the original injury because scar tissue grows exuberantly and invades surrounding skin. This outward extension is the defining feature that sets a keloid apart from a hypertrophic scar, which remains within the original scar borders. Hypertrophic scars may be raised and thickened but tend to stay contained and can even improve over time, whereas keloids persist and often do not regress.

Therefore, the characteristic most typical of a keloid is growth that extends beyond the margins of the inciting injury. The idea that it fades spontaneously over time fits hypertrophic scars more than keloids, and staying within the original scar margins describes hypertrophic scars, not keloids. Keloids can occur after various skin injuries, not only burns.