title: Intralesional triamcinolone alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Keloids and hypertrophic scars are benign growths of dermal collagen that can cause physical and psychological (cosmetic) problems for patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this 12-week, double-blind, clinical trial, 40 patients were randomized into two study groups. Patients in group 1 were given intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TAC), and patients in group 2 were given a combination of TAC and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU); both groups received injections at weekly intervals for 8 weeks. Lesions were assessed for erythema, pruritus, pliability, height, length and width.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients in group 1 and three patients in group 2 failed to complete the study. At the 8-week and 12-week follow-up visits, both groups showed an acceptable improvement in nearly all parameters, but these were more significant in the TAC + 5-FU group (P < 0.05 for all except pruritus and percentage of itch reduction). Good to excellent (> 50%) improvement were reported by 20% of the patients in group 1 and 55% of the patients in group 2, which was significantly different (P = 0.02). Good to excellent responses was reported by trained observers as 15% in group 1 and 40% in group 2. Their difference was not significant (P = 0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall efficacy of TAC + 5-FU was comparable with TAC, but the TAC + 5-FU combination was more acceptable to patients and produced better results.
authors.affiliation: Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Centre, and Department of Dermatology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. darougheh@resident.mui.ac.ir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darougheh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asilian
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shariati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007627:Keloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy; D014221:Triamcinolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014221:Triamcinolone; D005472:Fluorouracil