Engrav L H, Grube B J, Bubak P J
Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Ann Plast Surg. 1990 Feb;24(2):162-4. doi: 10.1097/00000637-199002000-00010.
The scalp has become a popular donor site for split-thickness skin, and few complications have been reported. However, we have been troubled by 5 patients in whom the donor site did not epithelialize but rather turned into dried granulation tissue with embedded growing hairs, a situation rather like concrete with steel reinforcing rods. The pathophysiology is not clear but seems to be related to thick grafts from hair-bearing areas. We treated the lesions by removing the granulation tissue, shaving the hair, and treating the wound as a new donor site. Four lesions healed with total or near total regrowth of hair, and one required a small skin graft.
