Punch excision combined with steroid injections effective for keloid treatment

The combination of punch excision and intralesional steroid injection demonstrates a therapeutic effect on keloids, leading to a reduction in keloid thickness and shortening the overall treatment course without unusual adverse reactions, according to a study.

In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial, 81 participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group, which received initial punch excision combined with intralesional steroid injection, followed by injection treatment alone, or the control group, which received intralesional steroid injection alone.

Researchers assessed the thickness of the keloids before and after punch excision, compared keloid scores at different time points, and analyzed the number of injection treatments required in both groups. Additionally, they monitored the occurrence of adverse reactions throughout the study.

The study results indicated significant improvements in the treatment group compared to the control group. Following punch excision, the mean thickness of the keloids was notably reduced (P < 0.05). In addition, patients in the treatment group required fewer injection treatments (P < .05), exhibited significantly lower keloid scores (P < 0.05), and experienced a lower incidence rate of long-term adverse effects when compared to the control group (P < 0.05).

Reference
Hou S, Chen Q, Chen XD. The Clinical Efficacy of Punch Excision Combined With Intralesional Steroid Injection for Keloid Treatment. Dermatol Surg. 2023 May 1;49(5S):S70-S74. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003776. PMID: 37116004.