Intralesional cryosurgery to treat keloid scars: results from a retrospective study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A variety of treatment modalities have been proposed to treat keloid scars, but outcomes are often disappointing. Intralesional cryosurgery may significantly reduce these scars. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of intralesional cryosurgery to treat keloid scars. Feedback from patients on pain, pruritus and aesthetic discomfort was recorded before and after treatment. METHODS: A total of 10 patients with 14 keloid scars resistant to conventional treatments were enrolled in a retrospective study between October 2007 and October 2013. The efficacy of this treatment was evaluated by measuring the reduction in scar surface. RESULTS: Scar surface was reduced by an average of 58.5% after intralesional cryosurgery treatment for all scars (average pre-operative keloid scar surface 874.6 ± 954.1 mm2; average post-operative keloid scar surface 505.8 ± 1,024.7 mm2; p = 0.002). Pain and aesthetic discomfort were significantly decreased after treatment in all patients (p = 0.008 and p = 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that intralesional cryosurgery is an effective treatment for keloids.