Keloids are raised, thickened scar tissue that develops after skin injury, often growing beyond the borders of the original wound. This abnormal healing process can cause discomfort, itching, or irritation, leading to concerns about infection and discharge, particularly pus. Understanding the nature of this scar tissue helps determine if a symptom is part of the keloid’s structure or a sign of a secondary complication requiring medical attention.
What Keloids Actually Are
Keloids represent a disorder of wound healing where the body’s repair mechanism continues long after the initial injury has closed. They are composed of an overgrowth of dense, disorganized connective tissue, primarily a protein known as collagen. Keloids are structurally distinct from normal scars, which remain confined to the injury site.
The excessive deposition of collagen fibers causes the characteristic raised, firm, and rubbery appearance of the keloid lesion. This tissue is an accumulation of benign scar material, not a collection of inflammatory or infectious cells. Because the keloid is a mass of fibrous tissue, it does not possess the biological components necessary to generate pus.
The Direct Answer: Do Keloids Produce Pus?
Keloids do not inherently produce pus because they are sterile overgrowths of fibrous tissue. Pus, medically known as purulent drainage, is a thick, opaque fluid (typically white, yellow, or green) that is a byproduct of the immune system fighting a bacterial infection. It consists mainly of dead white blood cells, bacteria, and tissue debris. Since a keloid is a non-infectious mass, it cannot spontaneously generate this material.
However, a keloid can sometimes exude a clear or straw-colored fluid, often mistaken for pus. This weeping is usually a sign of superficial irritation, friction, or minor trauma to the skin covering the keloid. Unlike true pus, this non-infectious discharge is thin, translucent, and represents serous fluid leaking from the irritated surface.
Signs of Secondary Infection and When to Seek Help
While the keloid itself is sterile, the skin surrounding or overlying it is susceptible to a secondary bacterial infection. This condition occurs when bacteria enter the tissue through small cracks or breaks in the skin’s surface. Only when a secondary bacterial infection takes hold will the lesion begin to produce true pus. This pus may drain from the surface or collect beneath the tissue, forming an abscess.
The most definitive sign of a secondary infection is the presence of thick, purulent discharge that may be yellow, green, or foul-smelling. Other indicators include a sudden and significant increase in pain or tenderness. The area may also exhibit spreading warmth and redness, extending noticeably beyond the margins of the keloid itself. In more advanced cases, a person might experience systemic symptoms like fever or observe red streaks radiating from the keloid, which suggests the infection is spreading.
Any development of true pus, rapid swelling, or systemic signs like fever warrants an immediate consultation with a physician or dermatologist. Infected keloids require prompt medical treatment, often involving a course of oral antibiotics to resolve the bacterial issue. Neglecting these signs can lead to complications, including the potential for the infection to spread into the bloodstream. Early intervention is the most effective approach to managing a secondary infection in a keloid scar.