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Bleomycin in the treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars by multiple needle punctures
A España1, T Solano, E Quintanilla
1Department of Dermatology, University Clinic of Navarra, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain. aespana@unav.es
Background:
The treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars has been difficult and a recent French study showed that bleomycin has been useful in the treatment of these lesions.
Objective:
To determine the effectiveness and safety of bleomycin in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids when this drug is administered through multiple superficial punctures.
Methods:
We applied bleomycin to keloids and hypertrophic scars in 13 patients using a multiple-puncture method on the surface of the skin. All patients were given bleomycin at a concentration of 1.5 IU/ml. Clinical response after treatment was classified according to the following scale: complete flattening (100%), highly significant flattening (>90%), or significant flattening (75-90%).
Results:
The clinical response was very positive in all cases: complete flattening in six cases, highly significant flattening in six cases, and significant flattening in one case. Two patients presented a recurrence as a small nodule 10 and 12 months after the last infiltration.
Conclusions:
These clinical findings show that administration of bleomycin in keloids and hypertrophic scars shows promise and needs further investigation.