Clinical Effect of Dermatologic Trephination Combined With Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Keloids.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Keloids are excessive formations of scar tissue that develop at the site of a skin injury. Due to their invasive nature, they have a negative impact on the skin's appearance and are prone to recurrence, making them a challenging condition to treat with regard to skin aesthetics. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article was to compare the long-term effects of dermatologic trephination with nonsurgical treatments for scars and evaluate the clinical value of the treatments. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 48 patients who received keloid treatment in the Department of Dermatology and Department of Thoracic Surgery at our hospital from January 2021 to October 2023. Twenty-four patients received dermatologic trephination, and 24 patients received nonsurgical treatment. Outcome measures included scar appearance, scar healing time, pain and itching levels, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The healing time of patients receiving dermatologic trephination was significantly shorter than that of patients in the nonsurgical group. The degree of itching in patients undergoing dermatologic trephination was significantly lower than that of patients in the nonsurgical group. The satisfaction of patients who received dermatologic trephination was significantly higher than that of patients in the nonsurgical group. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we demonstrated that trephination achieves better long-term results in keloid revision, including improved keloid appearance, itching symptoms, and patient satisfaction.