Giant bilateral keloids of the ear lobule: Case report and brief review of literature

Keloids are abnormal tissue response to cutaneous injury. They are benign fibrocollagenous growth that rise above the skin surface and extend beyond the borders of the original wound. They may also rarely regress spontaneously and show a high level of recurrence after treatment. They usually arise after cutaneous insult, but idiopathic spontaneous etiology is also reported. Their high recurrence creates nuisance not only for the patient but also for the doctors. Bilateral keloids of ear lobules are rare. We report one such case of giant keloids of bilateral ear lobules in a 42-year-old male patient. Keloids have known to be notorious for their poor response to treatment owing to complex and ill-deciphered pathophysiology. Recent studies indicate that transforming growth factor beta and platelet-derived growth factor play an integral role in the formation of keloids. In this article, we have reviewed the available literature to discuss the pathophysiology and treatment modalities that may be used to prevent the recurrence of keloids.