- 作者：Nele Brusselaers ; Ali Pirayesh ; Henk Hoeksema ; Jozef Verbelen ; Stijn Blot ; Stan Monstrey
- 关键词：burn injury ; scar assessment ; scar scales
- 刊名：Journal of Surgical Research
- 出版年：2010
- 出版时间：November 2010
- 年：2010
- 卷：164
- 期：1
- 页码：e115-e123
- 全文大小：180 K
Background
Scars can be devastating and disfiguring, because they are clearly visible, stigmatizing, and permanent reminders of the initial accident or surgical event. Yet, there is still no consensus about the optimal scale or tool to assess the characteristics and evolution. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical importance of scar scales specifically developed for burn scars.Materials and Methods
The systematic literature search involved PubMed and the Web of Science (including Science Citation Index).
Results
The search resulted in 29 articles (including seven reviews) dealing with a new, modified, or validated scale. Scar scales assess several characteristics, of which color, pliability, and thickness were considered the most important. Physical limitation, pain, and pruritus are often more disturbing than the appearance of the scar, and are therefore also introduced in scar evaluation, as well as the interference with daily life activities (e.g., psychologic impact).
Conclusion
In contrast to the more objective scar assessment tools, scar scales usually cover more aspects of the scars and are less time-consuming in clinical practice. However, no strong conclusions can be made about their efficacy and validity. In addition to digital photography, scar scales are a valuable instrument in the clinical evaluation and follow-up of scars.