Introduction:
Many cases of severe keloid are associated with high blood pressure (hypertension). An analysis of 100 consecutive patients with keloid in our department in 2011 revealed that patients with multiple (>3) or large keloids (>10 cm(2)) were significantly more likely to have hypertension than patients with mild keloids (<2 or <10 cm(2)). In the present paper, a case of severe keloids associated with hypertension is described. How such patients should be treated is discussed.
Methods:
This 63-year-old woman had hypertension together with severe keloids that covered her right elbow, wrist joints, and thumb and made it difficult for her to use her right hand. The contractures were released by using surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. The internal medicine clinic started her on a Ca-channel blocker (amlodipine besilate) and an angiotensin II blocker (candesartan cilexetil).
Results:
The contractures were completely released by a distally based radial artery flap and postoperative 4 MeV electron beam irradiation (15 Gy/3 fractions for 3 days). The angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and the Ca-channel blocker improved the objective symptoms of the remaining keloids.
Conclusions:
If patients with severe keloids present, the possibility of hypertension should be considered: the patient may have hypertension already or may be affected in the future. Hypertension may be a risk factor of keloid deterioration. Antihypertensive treatment may reduce symptoms of patients with severe keloids. At present, surgery and postoperative radiotherapy appear to be the only solution to the functional problems experienced by patients with severe keloids.