Evaluation of therapeutic response of Keloid and Hypertrophic scars to bleomycin tatto and to cryotherapy followed by intralesional triamcinolone injection

Keloid and hypertrophic scars are abnormal healing responses to injury due to overgrowth of dense fibrous tissue developing after healing of skin injury. Several treatments for keloids and hypertrophic have been suggested, from which cryotherapy followed by intralesional corticosteroid injection is the most common. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic responses of bleomycin tattoo and cryotherapy followed by intralesional triamcinolone injection methods for treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars. The study was performed on 45 patients divided into two groups. Group A (23 patients) treated with bleomycin tatto and group B (22 patients) treated with cryotherapy and intralesional injection of triamcinolone. Each group received one treatment per month for a period of four months, and was followed up for three months after the treatment. Therapeutic response was defined as the percentage of scar height reduction. Patients treated with bleomycin showed 88.3%±14 and the next group showed 67.3%±22.5 reduction of scar height, that were significantly different. Also 69% of group A and 49% of group B became symptom free. It is concluded that bleomycin tattoo showed a better therapeutic response for Keloid and hypertrophic scars.