Maximizing keloid treatment efficacy: Enhanced results through the synergy of erbium glass laser and intralesional steroids

Objectives Keloids are benign hyperplasias precipitated by tissue injury, usually refractory to several treatment modalities. Therefore, there is always a search for novel combination therapeutic options. In this study, we sought to analyze keloid treatment efficacy by combining intralesional steroid (ILS) and erbium glass laser. The study aims to compare the efficacy and outcome of erbium glass laser plus ILS for the treatment of keloids. This is a retrospective, single-center, uncontrolled, open-label study. Material and Methods A total of 44 patients with keloids at various sites were included in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Each lesion was treated with a single pass of Erbium glass laser (1540 nm), without overlap, followed by 40 mg/mL of ILS in the same sitting. Six sessions were carried out at monthly intervals. The modified Vancouver scar scale (VSS) was used for the assessment of keloidal scar reduction. Scars were reassessed after 6 months of the last session. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software Windows version 23.0 was used to analyze the data. Fisher’s exact test was used and P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results 30 patients came for regular follow-up. During the follow-up after cessation of treatment, only two patients showed recurrence. There was a statistically significant mean difference between the modified VSS score at baseline and that after 6 months of therapy. Conclusion Combining erbium glass laser with ILS can have promising results for the treatment of keloids with fewer treatment sessions, alleviating pain and pruritus, lesser recurrence rate, and thereby resulting in higher patient satisfaction.