KELOID, less often, but more correctly, CHE LOID (Gk. v1X05, ch(A, a claw). A benign neo plasm which appears in the skin in the form of a scar-like fibrous tumor. It is probably always due to an injury, at whose site it appears, though formerly it was believed that 'true keloid' arose spntaneously, while 'false keloid' followed in jury. Keloid has been known to follow pressure of clothing, a scratch, a vaccination wound, a boil, a leech-bite. an acne pustule. a small-pox pustule, and an incision in the lobule of the ear made for an earring. Certain persons are predisposed to scarring and to keloid, small in juries being followed by the disease. This state ment is true of the negro race. It is not uncom mon to see negroes with large numbers of keloids of varying sizes. The keloid is usually an ele vated, rounded, firm, fiat tumor with sharply defined edges projecting about one-eighth of an inch above the level of the skin, and generally appearing on the face, ears, back, shoulders, or breasts. Occasionally it has the form of a ridge. It is of a glistening white or red color, smooth on its surface. devoid of lanugu hairs, and often
painful on pressure. Rarely keloids weighing over 15 pounds are encountered.
Upon section the tumor appears to be fibrous, with a few nuclei and spindle cells chiefly about the blood-vessels. It is thought that keloid de velops from abnormal growth of the adrcntitia of the arterioles. Claw-like processes project from the tumor into the neighboring skin, and there are changes in the walls of blood vessels for some distance beyond the edge of the keloid. The tumor usually progresses up to a certain point and then remains stationary. The only desirable treatment is excision. The growth is ahnost sure to return after cauteriza tion or excision. If the latter is practiced, thor ough removal of sin rounding tissue must be made. As palliatives of the pain or itching. mer curial applications, lead, salicylated plaster. re surcin. and pressure have been used. Linear scari fications and electricity have also been employed.