Metaanalysis Yields Mixed Results in Keloid, Hypertrophic Scar Treatment
Most of the available treatments for keloids or hypertrophic scars offer a minimal likelihood of improvement, a metaanalysis suggests.
The metaanalysis of results from 70 trials found a 70% chance of improvement from treatment. The management regimens improved lesions by a mean of 60%, compared with baseline, and a few therapies were no better than observation alone, Dr. Douglas Leventhal reported in a poster presentation at the international symposium.
There is no universally accepted treatment regimen for keloids or hypertrophic scars and no evidence-based literature to help clinicians choose from among the many treatment options that have already been tried. Management has evolved over the years from crude, invasive methods such as gross excision and radiation to intralesional or topical agents that work on a cellular level, wrote Dr. Leventhal of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.
Some current treatments for keloids or hypertrophic scars may provide clinically significant improvements, but results fall far short of a cure, he concluded.