Novel approach found for treating hypertrophic scars

(HealthDay)—Same-session therapy with fractional ablative laser treatment followed immediately with topical application of triamcinolone acetonide suspension is effective in treating patients with hypertrophic and restrictive cutaneous scars, according to research published in the March issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Jill S. Waibel, M.D., of the Laser Institute in Miami, and colleagues prospectively evaluated the efficacy of fractional ablative laser and topical triamcinolone acetonide suspension (10 or 20 mg/mL) in 15 consecutive patients with severe hypertrophic scars.

According to the researchers, three blinded observers evaluated photographs of the scars taken at baseline and at six months after the treatment. This treatment approach resulted in an average overall improvement of 2.73 out of 3.0, with 3.0 being the highest overall improvement score.

"The results of our series indicate that combination same-session therapy with laser and laser-assisted delivery of triamcinolone acetonide offers efficient, safe, and effective treatment of challenging hypertrophic cutaneous scars," the authors write. "This technique holds promise not only for scar treatment but for a multitude of disorders using cell and drug based approaches."