Laser-assisted drug delivery in the treatment of keloids: A case of extensive refractory keloids successfully treated with fractional carbon dioxide laser followed by topical application and intralesional injection of steroid suspension

Abstract

Keloids are benign fibroproliferative growths that occur from an abnormal response to skin injury and can be disfiguring, functionally impairing, and have dramatic impacts on quality of life. Furthermore, treatment is notoriously challenging, and the rate of recurrence is high. Various treatment modalities have been proposed for keloids including occlusive dressings, compression therapy, silicone sheeting, intralesional corticosteroid injections, cryotherapy, surgical removal, pulsed dye laser, radiation, imiquimod cream, intralesional verapamil, 5-fluorouracil, bleomycin, and interferon-α2b injections.1, 2 Laser-assisted drug delivery is an evolving new treatment modality with many possible applications, including keloids and hypertrophic scars. \n \nHere we present a case of refractory keloids treated with laser-assisted drug delivery using fractional ablative laser followed by a combined treatment of topical application and intralesional injection of steroid suspension.