Clinical and Morphological Characteristics of Navel Keloids: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Korean Population

BACKGROUND: Keloids exhibit distinct clinical characteristics depending on their anatomical location. Comprehensive analyses focusing specifically on the clinical features of navel keloids remain limited. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical features of Korean patients with navel keloids and propose a classification system based on their morphological patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with navel keloids (2017-2023) was performed. Clinical data (demographics, lesion location and morphology, associated symptoms, etiologic factors, surgical history, treatment modalities, complications, and outcomes), dermoscopy, histopathology, radiologic, and operative reports were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients with navel keloids were identified (41 women and 5 men; mean age, 52.5 ± 14.3 years). Most lesions developed after laparoscopic surgery (LS) (80.4%). Initially, 84.8% of patients reported symptoms, most commonly pain and/or pruritus. Lesions most commonly involved the lower umbilical region (58.7%) and presented as the button type (30.4%). Dermoscopic and histopathologic evaluations revealed characteristic vascular and inflammatory features. Complications included abscesses (28.3%) and epidermoid cysts (26.1%). After treatment, the mean Vancouver Scar Scale score decreased from 8.8 to 7.0 (20.2% reduction). CONCLUSION: Navel keloids in Korean patients most commonly developed after LS and exhibited distinct clinical, morphological, and histopathologic characteristics.