Therapeutic effect of hydroxyurea in treating refractory keloids

Keloids are benign, dermal fibroproliferative growths related to skin trauma or inflammation that considerably impair physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and quality of life.1 Although several options have shown success in treating keloids, there are presently no standardized guidelines for keloid management endorsed by a governing academic body.2 Additionally, a paucity of randomized-controlled trials makes optimizing treatment for keloids difficult. This case report describes for the first time a patient who did not respond to pentoxifylline but responded well to hydroxyurea treatment, implicating hydroxyurea as an alternative second-line systemic treatment option for refractory keloids.