Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars Using Laser-Assisted Corticosteroid Versus Laser-Assisted 5-Fluorouracil Delivery

BACKGROUND: As the mortality of individuals suffering severe cutaneous injuries decreases, there is an increased need to improve the methods by which physicians treat the resultant scars. Fractional lasers, which create zones of ablation at variable depths, provide a powerful tool in the management of scar complications and deformities. After disruption of the normal skin barrier, these zones may be used to deliver drugs that may enhance scar resolution. OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences in clinical outcome for hypertrophic scars treated with laser-assisted corticosteroid delivery, as compared to laser-assisted 5-fluorouracil delivery. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blinded, single-subject study of 20 individuals with hypertrophic scars, subjects underwent 3 treatment sessions at 1-month intervals consisting of fractional ablative laser treatment, followed by postoperative application of either topical triamcinolone acetonide (20 mg/mL) or topical 5-fluorouracil (50 mg/mL). RESULTS: Three sessions of laser-assisted triamcinolone acetonide and 5-fluorouracil delivery both produced reductions in overall scar area. When compared with one another, there were no statistically significant differences in area reduction between the 2 modalities (p = .603). However, scars treated with 5-fluorouracil were not associated with side effects seen with corticosteroid therapy, such as dermal atrophy or telangiectasia formation. CONCLUSION: As 5-fluorouracil was associated with fewer adverse events, these findings support the use of a nonsteroidal agent in the management of traumatic scars by laser-assisted therapy.