Scar
Chapter: 2
One of the possible outcomes of inflammation. Scars consist of collagenous connecitve tissue, which can replace parenchyma that is lost due to injury or as a result of the inflammatory process. Scarring, or fibrosis, can be the basis for one of the cardinal signs of inflammation, namely, loss of function. The loss can either be due to replacement of parenchymatous tissue (e.g., contractile heart muscle fibers) or to mechanical problems that scar tissue can produce. For example, as scar tissue matures, it contracts. It can, therefore, constrict organs that it surrounds (so-called napkin ring scarring or fibrosis of the intestine) or impede movement (e.g., when it crosses a joint).