Scars vary from mature linear scars to abnormal excessive scars such as hypertrophic scars and keloid scars. Keloid scars are fibro-proliferative disease entities that reflect an abnormal process of wound healing. They can cause pain, itching, stiffness, and psychological distress, all of which can affect quality of life. Various treatment options have been advocated as ways to prevent and treat keloid scars. These include noninvasive treatments such as use of silicone gel sheeting and compression therapy, and invasive treatments such as intralesional corticosteroid injections, surgery, and radiotherapy. Novel treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and anti-inflammatory therapies. Unfortunately, keloids continue to pose a significant challenge due to the lack of efficacious treatments. Therefore, clinicians should be familiar with various therapeutic options and apply the most suitable treatment plan for patients. In this review, we introduce the current therapeutic options for the management of keloid scars.

Kim JT, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2015 May;30(5):514-522. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2015.30.5.514

Jung K, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2019 Feb;34(8):e65. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e65

Mobile and tablet apps, ubiquitous and pervasive computing, wearable computing and domotics for health.

Background: The aim of this study was to summarize the existing literature on the origin of the concept of the divine proportion and its usage in the plastic surgery field. Methods: In PubMed, the search terms [golden ratio AND (plastic surgery OR aesthetic surgery OR face)] were used, resulting in 65 articles. Among them, 15 articles were excluded and 50 abstracts were reviewed, of which 45 were excluded. The remaining 5 full articles and 11 other mined articles were reviewed. Results: No evidence was found that the golden ratio had been used in any architecture or paintings before Pacioli’s Divina proportione (Divine proportion) (1509), after which painters begin to use this ratio in their art. Fechner (1876) found that the golden ratio (1:1.618) was more aesthetically pleasing than any other proportion of rectangles. Recently Marquardt invented a facial mask containing decagons and pentagons that embody φ in all dimensions, and claimed that this mask yielded the most beautiful shape of the human face. However, it did not fit the average facial features of northwestern Europeans or their perceptions of ideal femininity. Conclusions: Mathematical regularity can be found in nature and in the human body. However, this does not necessarily mean that a “formula of beauty” exists in mathematics. From the contributions of modern aestheticians, we now know that the so-called “essence of beauty” cannot be derived from the mathematical “formula of beauty” in the object itself. Therefore, it is suggested that beauty is based on biology, rather than on mathematics.

Impaired wound healing is a significant medical problem. Recently, cell-based therapy focused on stem cells has been developed to overcome the challenges of defective wound healing. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in promoting wound healing, using different techniques for administering them. Dorsal full-thickness skin defects (1×1cm) were created in three groups of mice that received intravenous ASCs by intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, and topical application, respectively. Three control groups received saline in the same ways. Wound healing was assessed clinically, wounds were examined histologically, and GFP-labelled ASCs were detected with an IVIS imaging system. The results revealed that ASCs accelerated wound healing independent of their mode of administration. Histological examination showed that the ASCs accelerated reepithelialization, and IVIS analysis indicated that many ASCs were present in the wound area and disappeared after wound healing.