Scars After Central Venous Catheters

Summary

Most children with cancer need a central venous catheter. These catheters are typically placed on the anterior thorax, where the risk of hypertrophic scarring and keloid development is greatly enhanced. A significant part of the children who have survived childhood cancer are troubled by their scars. Topical glucocorticoid treatment is known to induce a reduction of the collagen in the connective tissue. The investigators hypothesize that treatment with topical glucocorticoids for one week before and three weeks after removal of a central venous catheter, will reduce the formation of hypertrophic scarring and keloid development in children.

Timeline

Start

2010-03

Primary completion

2014-08

Completion

2016-07

Publications

• Background Wolfram D, Tzankov A, Pulzl P, Piza-Katzer H. Hypertrophic scars and keloids--a review of their pathophysiology, risk factors, and therapeutic management. Dermatol Surg. 2009 Feb;35(2):171-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2008.34406.x.
• Background Robles DT, Berg D. Abnormal wound healing: keloids. Clin Dermatol. 2007 Jan-Feb;25(1):26-32. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2006.09.009.
• Background Calaminus G, Weinspach S, Teske C, Gobel U. Quality of survival in children and adolescents after treatment for childhood cancer: the influence of reported late effects on health related quality of life. Klin Padiatr. 2007 May-Jun;219(3):152-7. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-973846.
• Background Sullivan T, Smith J, Kermode J, McIver E, Courtemanche DJ. Rating the burn scar. J Burn Care Rehabil. 1990 May-Jun;11(3):256-60. doi: 10.1097/00004630-199005000-00014.
• Background Draaijers LJ, Tempelman FR, Botman YA, Tuinebreijer WE, Middelkoop E, Kreis RW, van Zuijlen PP. The patient and observer scar assessment scale: a reliable and feasible tool for scar evaluation. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Jun;113(7):1960-5; discussion 1966-7. doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000122207.28773.56.
• Background Hopwood P, Fletcher I, Lee A, Al Ghazal S. A body image scale for use with cancer patients. Eur J Cancer. 2001 Jan;37(2):189-97. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(00)00353-1.

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