RECURRENCE RATES OF EXCISED KELOIDS TREATED WITH POSTOPERATIVE TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE INJECTIONS OR INTERFERON ALFA-2B INJECTIONS

Background: Keloids that are surgically removed commonly recur within the excision sites. Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether po stsurgical adjunctive therapy reduces such recurrences. Methods: We de termined the rate of recurrence after excision alone (n = 43) and post operative injection with triamcinolone acetonide (TAC; n = 65) or inte rferon alfa-2b (IFN-alpha 2b; n = 16). Results: Of lesions excised wit hout postoperative injections, 51.1% (22 of 43) recurred; 58.4% of TAC -treated lesions (38 of 65) recurred and 18.7% of IFN-alpha 2b-treated lesions (3 of 16) recurred (p = 0.025). Conclusion: Postoperative TAC injections do not reduce the number of keloid recurrences. However, i njection of keloid excision sites with IFN-alpha 2b offers a therapeut ic advantage over keloid excision.