Scars and stretch marks are highly prevalent skin conditions that impact individuals of all ages. While scars have been extensively studied and are known to involve significant alterations in the dermal and hypodermal layers, stretch marks have traditionally been considered aesthetic concerns with limited data available on their deeper structural changes. The complexity in comparing these two skin alterations arises from the considerable intra- and inter-subject variability in skin structure. In this case study, we examined a 54-year-old male patient who presented both stretch marks and a surgical scar on his abdomen. To investigate and compare the structural changes in the skin, we employed ultrasound and elastosonography techniques. These advanced imaging methods allowed us to analyze the underlying changes in both the dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin.
Our findings revealed substantial morphological differences between the stretch marks and the surgical scar, with both conditions differing significantly from intact, unaffected skin. Specifically, both the scar and the stretch marks displayed alterations in the connective tissue structures, which were markedly different from the normal architecture of the skin. These results provide further evidence that stretch marks are not merely superficial cosmetic changes but involve deeper alterations in both the dermis and hypodermis, similar to scars. This challenges the traditional view of stretch marks as purely aesthetic and suggests that they, like scars, represent a deeper dermal and hypodermal alteration.
By comparing these two distinct skin conditions through imaging, this study highlights the importance of recognizing stretch marks as more than just surface-level changes, reinforcing the need for further research into their underlying mechanisms and potential treatments.
