SURGICAL EXCISION FOLLOWED BY BRACHYTHERA PY FOR THE TREATMENT OF KELOIDS IN MARTINIQUE

Keloids in black patients frequently recur after surgical excision alo ne, Surgical excision followed by iridium 192 brachytherapy was used t o treat 783 keloids in 502 black patients in Martinique, The surgical and radiation therapy technique is described in detail. The recurrence rate was 21%, in keeping with earlier studies, Factors influencing th e risk of recurrence were the size of the keloid before treatment and complications occurring during or immediately after surgical excision, The data reported here suggest that surgical excision followed by bra chytherapy is currently the best available method for treating keloids .