A Simple and Feasible Earlobe Keloid Pressure Splint.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Earlobe keloids present significant management challenges due to high recurrence rates.
• Standard treatments like surgery, injections, and laser therapy often exceed 50% recurrence when used alone.
• Consistent compression is difficult to achieve on the ear's complex anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel, low-cost, and easily fabricated compression device for earlobe keloid management.
• To evaluate the device's efficacy when used as an adjuvant therapy with surgical excision and intralesional corticosteroids.
• To offer a practical and time-efficient alternative to existing compression methods.

Main Methods:

• A novel compression device was fabricated using modified 25-gauge syringe hubs.
• The device was applied bilaterally to the earlobe using nylon sutures after surgical excision and low-tension closure.
• Patients wore the device continuously for six months, combined with intralesional corticosteroid injections.

Main Results:

• The device provides sustained and conforming compression to the earlobe.
• This novel approach integrates principles known to reduce keloid recurrence.
• The method is described as low-cost, time-efficient, and easily fabricated.

Conclusions:

• The described compression device, when used adjunctively with surgical excision and intralesional corticosteroids, offers a promising strategy for earlobe keloid management.
• This approach addresses the challenges of consistent compression on the earlobe and may reduce high recurrence rates.
• It presents a practical and cost-effective alternative to commercial or custom-fabricated compression devices.