Excessive growth of scar tissue is called what?

• A. Hypertrophic scar
• B. Cicatrix
• C. Fibroma
• D. Keloid

Answer: (D)

A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue that extends beyond the boundaries of the original wound. It happens when the wound-healing process stays active too long and produces excess collagen, often driven by increased TGF-β signaling. This sets it apart from a hypertrophic scar, which is raised but remains within the wound margins. Cicatrix is just another term for a scar in general, and fibroma is a benign fibrous tumor, not the specific overgrowth pattern seen with keloids. In practice, recognizing a keloid helps guide safe treatment choices and careful wound care, since keloids tend to recur after attempted removal and can be triggered by further skin trauma.