Eva Due, Kristian Rossen, Lars Tue Sorensen, Anette Kliem, Tonny Karlsmark, Merete Haedersdal
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-0154

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ultra­violet (UV) irradiation on human cutaneous cicatrices. In this randomized, controlled study, dermal punch biopsy wounds served as a wound healing model. Wounds heal­ed by primary or second intention and were randomized to postoperative solar UV irradiation or to no UV exposure. Evaluations after 5 and 12 weeks included blinded clinical assessments, skin reflectance measurements, histology, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical analyses of the N-terminal propeptide from procollagen-1, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, and proline. Twelve weeks postoperatively, UV-irradiated cicatrices healing by second intention: (i) were significantly pointed out as the most disfiguring; (ii) obtained significantly higher scores of colour, infiltration and cicatrix area; and (iii) showed significantly higher increase in skin-reflectance measurements of skin-pigmentation vs. non-irradiated cicatrices. No histological, immunohistochemical or biochemical differences were found. In conclusion, postoperative UV exposure aggravates the clinical appearance of cicatrices in humans.