Combined surgical excision and electron external beam radiation improves the treatment of keloids: A descriptive study.

Abstract

Keloids are firm, fibrous nodules that form on an individual's skin and are associated with difficult symptoms as well as high recurrence rates. This study aims to improve the surgical techniques that reduce local tension after surgical excision of keloids as well as applying adjuvant radiotherapy to suppress scar formation. A total of 58 patients aged between 21 and 76 years received surgical incision of keloid and immediate postoperation low-dose radiotherapy. All patient follow-ups were performed at the out-patient department. Any sign of a keloid at the incision site was defined as treatment failure or keloid recurrence, regardless of the size. At a median follow-up of 22 months, the overall recurrence for all lesions was 8.6%, which is improved compared with previous study. In addition, all incisions performed during surgeries were healed and no signs of necrosis or the development of ulcers was observed. Our study suggests that this combined therapy provides excellent local control of keloids and shows promise for future therapy.