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.