16. How do you treat pathological scars?

Patients with pathological scars (keloid or hypertrophic) should be referred to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.

The treatment of keloid scars is complex and varied and includes intrascar corticosteroid injections (triamcinolone), cryotherapy, lasers, cryosurgery, radiotherapy, etc. (Table 6).

Silicone, which is easily accessible and can be prescribed by any practitioner, can be beneficial for the initial management of pathological scars. Thus, silicone should be offered to the patient as a first step before referring them to a specialist. Silicone comes in various forms such as patches, gel, spray, etc., and has an occlusive effect favouring hyperhydration of the corneal layer.

Table 6. Summary of treatments for pathological scars.

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