Effect of triamcinolone in keloids morphological changes and cell apoptosis

to assess the effects of injectable triamcinolone on keloid scars length, height and thickness, and on the number of cells undergoing apoptosis.

This study consists in a prospective, controlled, randomized, single-blinded clinical trial, conducted with fifteen patients with ear keloids divided into two groups: group 1 - seven patients undergoing keloid excisions, and group 2 - eight patients undergoing keloid excisions after three sessions of infiltration with one ml of Triamcinolone hexacetonide (20mg/ml) with three week intervals between them and between the last session and surgery. The two groups were homogeneous regarding age, gender and evolution of the keloid scar. The keloid scars of patients in group 2 were measured for the length, height and thickness before triamcinolone injection and before surgery. A blinded observer performed morphological detailing and quantification of cells in hematoxylin-eosin-stained surgical specimens. An apoptotic index was created.

The apoptotic index in group 1 was 56.82, and in group 2, 68.55, showing no significant difference as for apoptosis (p=0.0971). The reduction in keloid dimensions in Group 2 was 10.12% in length (p=0.6598), 11.94% in height (p=0.4981) and 15.62% in thickness (p=0.4027).

This study concluded that the infiltration of triamcinolone in keloid scars did not increase the number of apoptosit and did not reduce keloids' size, length, height or thickness.