Prevention and curative management of hypertrophic scar formation

Although hypertrophic scarring commonly occurs following burns, many aspects such as incidence of and optimal treatment for scar hypertrophy remain unclear. This review will focus on hypertrophic scar formation after burn in particular, exploring multiple treatment options and describing their properties as well as effectiveness. To evaluate treatment efficacy and scar development, clinical scar assessment is of eminent importance. Furthermore, recommendations regarding the classification of hypertrophy in the daily practice and in clinical trials are implemented. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.