Indian Journal of Dermatology (Jan 2005)
Comparison of therapeutic response of keloids and hypertrophic scars to cryotherapy plus intralesional steroid and bleomycin tattoo
Abstract
Keloids and hypertrophic scars are abnormal responses of body to skin injuries. Overproduction of compacted fibrous tissue is the basic cause of these lesions. In this study the result of treatment of these skin conditions with bleomycin tattoo are compared with cryotherapy and triamcinolone injection. This study involved 45 patients with hypertrophic scar or keloid. Patients were divided into two groups consecutively. Group A (23 patients) was treated with bleomycin tattoo and the group B with cryotherapy and triamcinolone injection. There were four therapeutic sessions one month apart. All patients were followedup for three month after the end of treatment .The therapeutic response was determined as reduction of lesion size or flattening relative to initial size. Therapeutic response was 88.3±14% in group A and 67.4 ±22.5% in group B (p<0.001). In group A 69%, but in group B only 49% of patients were asymptomatic after the end of treatment. In group A there was no relation between therapeutic response and lesion size (p=0.58) but in group B lesions those were smaller (<100mm2) had better therapeutic response than larger ones (p=0.007). It was concluded that bleomycin tattoo is more effective in treatment of hypertrophic scar and keloid than traditional treatment, cryotherapy plus triamcinolone injection especially in larger ones.
