Background and objective.

Due to the cosmetic and functional implications, scars in children represent a concern for patients and their parents. Currently, there are multiple lines of treatment with variable effectiveness.

Adipose tissue transfer is a relatively new alternative in the treatment of different alterations including scars, because this tissue contains among other elements growth, angiogenic and antiapoptotic factors, in addition to a reserve of mesenchymal stem cells with the ability to replicate indefinitely and differentiate into several cell types that can promote the reorganization and regeneration of tissue.

We show the results of the use of fat graft for treatment of pathological scars in a series of pediatric patients. We base its use on the satisfactory effects found on scars in adults to suggest this method as an alternative in the management in children, considering that this technique represents an emerging treatment for the management of this condition in this age group.

Methods.

Retrospective, observational, non-randomized study, carried out in pediatric patients underwent to autologous fat grafts for the management of pathological scars during the period from January 2016 to January 2018. The scars were treated with autologous fat grafts and evaluated before the procedure and 3 and 6 postoperative months, using the Vancouver scale. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank test.

Results.

Nine patients were included in the study (5 women and 4 men) with an age range of 2 to 17 years (average 8.8 years). A statistically significant reduction in the averages of the variables vascularization, elasticity and in total score of the Vancouver scale (p value <0.05) after treatment with fat graft was identified. All patients showed a decrease of at least 1 point in the total of the Vancouver scale at the end of the evaluated period. The variable with the greatest decrease in the score at 6 months was elasticity and the one with the least change was thickness/height. No patient presented complications early or late during the follow-up period.

Conclusions.

The data obtained suggest that also in pediatric patients, the scars show a clinical improvement after the application of fat grafts (especially in elasticity), based on the decrease in the score on the Vancouver scale.

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