title: Intralesional cryosurgery to treat keloid scars: results from a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A variety of treatment modalities have been proposed to treat keloid scars, but outcomes are often disappointing. Intralesional cryosurgery may significantly reduce these scars.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of intralesional cryosurgery to treat keloid scars. Feedback from patients on pain, pruritus and aesthetic discomfort was recorded before and after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 10 patients with 14 keloid scars resistant to conventional treatments were enrolled in a retrospective study between October 2007 and October 2013. The efficacy of this treatment was evaluated by measuring the reduction in scar surface.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scar surface was reduced by an average of 58.5% after intralesional cryosurgery treatment for all scars (average pre-operative keloid scar surface: 874.6 ± 954.1 mm2; average post-operative keloid scar surface: 505.8 ± 1,024.7 mm2; p = 0.002). Pain and aesthetic discomfort were significantly decreased after treatment in all patients (p = 0.008 and p = 0.012, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that intralesional cryosurgery is an effective treatment for keloids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chopinaud
authors.forename: Anne-Dominique
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labbé
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verneuil
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gourio
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bénateau
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dompmartin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult