title: Silicone gel sheets relieve pain and pruritus with clinical improvement of keloid: possible target of mast cells.
abstract: Silicone gel sheet treatment is widely used to treat hypertrophic scars and keloids since it is easily applied and prevents scar pain and itching. We used Cica-Care silicone gel sheets in the conservative treatment of six patients for 24 weeks and recorded pain, itching, redness, and scar elevation every 4 weeks. We also investigated the number of mast cells and Fas antigen expression in the lesional skin (one patient) before and after treatment. The pain and itching clearly decreased after 4 weeks of the silicone gel sheeting and disappeared after 12 weeks. Twelve weeks were required for a reduction in scar redness and elevation. After 24 weeks, a decrease in the number of mast cells and the enhanced expression of Fas antigen by lesional fibroblasts were observed. Thus, silicone gel sheeting is effective and safe, especially with more severe symptoms of pain and itching possibly induced by mediators derived from increased mast cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan. kumeishi-ngs.umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eishi
authors.forename: S-J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katayama
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007627:Keloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011537:Pruritus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020034:Silicone Gels / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020034:Silicone Gels