title: Evaluating hypertrophic thyroidectomy scar outcomes after treatment with triamcinolone injections and copper bromide laser therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative hypertrophic scar following thyroidectomy can be a major concern due to its disfiguring appearance. Recently, copper bromide laser (CBL) and intralesional triamcinolone injection (TA ILI) have been used to treat hypertrophic thyroidectomy scars. Data regarding the number of treatment sessions needed to reach a certain endpoint and the prognostic factors that affect treatment duration are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the number of treatment sessions required to reduce VSS score by 50%, which was regarded as the treatment endpoint, and to investigate the factors that influence treatment duration when using CBL and TA ILI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 67 patients were enrolled in this study. Baseline characteristics of the patients including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), distance of the scar from the sternal notch, time of development of the hypertrophic scar, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle prominence, and date of operation were collected on the first visit. They were treated with CBL and TA. The concentration of triamcinolone used was 2.5 mg/ml or 5 mg/ml according to the pliability score of each scar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of treatment sessions required to achieve the endpoint was 3.85 ± 1.25. Among the variables assessed, location of the scar near the sternal notch (P = 0.020) and patient BMI (P = 0.001) were associated with the increasing number of treatment sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study cohort, four treatments were required to reduce the VSS of thyroidectomy scars by 50% when using a combination treatment of CBL and low concentration TA ILI. Also, scar location and patient BMI are factors that affect treatment outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Rang
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: On
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hang-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: CheongSoo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Ryung
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide
keywords: copper bromide laser; hypertrophic scar; prognostic factor; treatment outcomes