KELOID EXCISION AND RECURRENCE PROPHYLAXIS VIA INTRADERMAL INTERFERON-GAMMA INJECTIONS - A PILOT-STUDY

Keloids are an abnormal response to wound healing distinguished by an overproduction of collagen. Thickened bundles of collagen in the retic ular dermis oriented haphazardly in relation to the overlying epitheli um are found in keloids, in contrast to thinner collagen fibers in a m ore orderly arrangement that are found in normal scars. Previous clini cal trials of intralesional interferon-gamma (IFN-G) injections by Lar rabee et al.(6) and Granstein et al.(12,14) showed a decrease in lesio n size. These findings led to a conclusion that IFN-G would be a usefu l adjunct to surgical excision of keloids to aid in preventing recurre nce. We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with two or more keloids treated with excision and subsequent local i njections of IFN-G or placebo.