A multimodal therapeutic approach improves the clinical outcome of auricular keloid patients

Abstract

Objective

We retrospectively studied the efficacy of personalized therapy with surgical resection plus prophylactic management of postsurgical auricular keloids by intralesional injection of betamethasone and local pressure therapy using magnets in patients with auricular keloids.

Methods

Surgical excision was performed in all patients, and surgical techniques including fusiform excision of the keloid scar, core excision of the keloid scar followed by flap repair, and scar graft were chosen.

Results

A total of 85 patients with 98 auricular keloids were eligible. Seventy‐two (74%) patients had primary auricular keloids, and 13 patients had recurrent keloids after surgical excision. Keloids, were located in the helix in 28 (32.9%) cases, in the earlobe in 45 (52.9%) cases, and in the entire auricle in 12 (14.1%) cases. The size of auricular keloids ranged from 10 to 35 mm. Surgical resection was uneventful in all cases. Twenty‐one (21.4%) patients received fusiform excision, 47 (47.9%) patients underwent core excision and flap repair, and 30 (30.6%) patients received skin grafts. The patients were followed up for median duration of 1 year (range: 12–24 months). The cure rate was 87.2%, and the recurrence rate was 12.8%.

Conclusion

A personalized surgical approach based on the characteristics of auricular keloids in each patient and a multimodal therapeutic regimen including surgical excision, glucocorticoid blockade, and intralesional injection of glucocorticoids and pressure therapy improve the cure rate and reduce the recurrence rate of auricular keloids.

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