Treatment Strategies for Hypopigmentation in the Context of Burn Hypertrophic Scars

Bonnie C. Carney, BS; Jacqueline P. McKesey, MD; Dean S. Rosenthal, PhD; Jeffrey W. Shupp, MD

doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000001642

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Open (Jan 2018)

Treatment Strategies for Hypopigmentation in the Context of Burn Hypertrophic Scars

Bonnie C. Carney, BS,
Jacqueline P. McKesey, MD,
Dean S. Rosenthal, PhD,
Jeffrey W. Shupp, MD

Affiliations

Bonnie C. Carney, BS: From the *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; †Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C.; and ‡The Burn Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.
Jacqueline P. McKesey, MD: From the *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; †Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C.; and ‡The Burn Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.
Dean S. Rosenthal, PhD: From the *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; †Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C.; and ‡The Burn Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.
Jeffrey W. Shupp, MD: From the *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; †Firefighters’ Burn and Surgical Research Laboratory, MedStar Health Research Institute, Washington, D.C.; and ‡The Burn Center, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000001642
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 1
p. e1642

Abstract

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Dyspigmentation in burn scars can contribute to the development of psychosocial complications after injury and can be detrimental to social reintegration and quality of life for burn survivors. Although treatments for skin lightening to treat hyperpigmentation have been well reviewed in the literature, skin-darkening strategies to treat hypopigmentation have not. The following potential treatment options in the context of burn hypertrophic scar will be discussed: use of the melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation procedure, use of ectopic synthetic analogues of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone to initiate melanogenesis, and use of FK506 to induce melanogenesis. A proposed future direction of research in laser-assisted drug delivery of inducers of local melanin production, with the hope of developing a targeted, effective approach to dyspigmentation in hypertrophic scar is also discussed.

Published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Global Open

ISSN: 2169-7574 (Online)
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Surgery
Website: http://www.prsgo.com

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