Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery of 5-Fluorouracil and Triamcinolone vs. Triamcinolone Monotherapy Does Not Lead to Different Outcomes in the Treatment of Burn Hypertrophic Scars
Jasmine H. Wong, Jennifer M. Huang, Emily Y. Kim, Bonnie C. Carney, Davon T. Lee, Rebekah A. Allely, Jeffrey W. Shupp, Shawn Tejiram, Taryn E. TravisBACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
Fractional ablative CO 2 laser is an effective treatment for hypertrophic scars (HTS) and can enhance topical drug penetration through laser-assisted drug delivery. Although intralesional triamcinolone is a standard treatment for HTS, it is associated with more adverse effects than topical steroids and has limited applicability for large scars.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This single-institution, prospectively collected, retrospective chart review included 55 patients who underwent laser-assisted drug delivery treatment of either triamcinolone alone or a combination of triamcinolone and 5-fluorouracil. Scars were assessed using 4 subjective scales and objective firmness measurements.
RESULTS
Both groups demonstrated significant reductions in scar assessment scores after 3 treatments, but there were no significant differences between the 2 treatment modalities. However, comparisons of baseline with posttreatment scores showed greater improvement in the combination group, suggesting a potential but not statistically significant advantage of combination therapy.
CONCLUSION
Although both groups exhibited improvements in scar outcomes, neither showed significant improvement between groups, suggesting clinical effectiveness without clear superiority. In addition, there were equivocal differences in variables representing adverse effects. Given the comparable efficacy and adverse effects, this study suggests that adding 5-fluorouracil to triamcinolone may not be warranted in laser-assisted drug delivery treatment of hypertrophic scar.