Keloid Scars: An Updated Review of Combination Therapies

Abstract

Keloid scars are a common yet poorly understood complication of wound healing that can cause a diminished quality of life. Currently, there is little agreement amongst the medical community regarding the best treatment modality for keloids. For this reason, we have created an updated review of the most successful combination therapies for keloid scars and compared their efficacy based on rates of recurrence following treatment. Additionally, these combination therapies have been compared with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide corticosteroid (TAC), which is considered the mainstay monotherapy for keloids. All combination therapies included in our review were shown to produce superior outcomes than TAC monotherapy. We have also found that certain combination therapies are known to produce superior results when used in specific anatomic locations. Intralesional TAC plus intralesional cryotherapy appeared to have the most promising results for non-auricular keloids, and the authors suggest considering this as a first-line treatment. Additionally, the use of surgical excision plus compression therapy achieved superior results for auricular keloids and should be considered first-line for keloids in these locations.

Keywords: combination therapy for keloid scars; combination therapy for keloids; combination treatment for keloids; combination versus monotherapy for keloids; keloid; keloid scar; keloid therapy; keloid treatment; treating keloids.