Combined laser treatment for ear keloids: Case series: Comparison between two mini-invasive protocols.

BACKGROUND Keloids are benign fibrous tumors derived by excessive proliferation of fibroblasts and collagen synthesis after an injury, and they do not regress spontaneously. Earlobes keloids may develop either on the helix or on the anterior or posterior lobe, up to several years after piercing. AIMS To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined protocol of CO2 laser + dye laser versus CO2 laser + dye laser + Enerjet. METHODS Eighty patients with a total of 83 ear keloids were divided in two groups: One group has been treated in the same session with a single CO2 laser procedure + a pulsed Dye laser procedure; the second group has been treated as the group one with an adjunctive Enerjet procedure. RESULTS Of the 40 patients for a total of 41 treated keloids in the first group, 85.4% of keloids did not recur during a follow-up period (3 months-7 years), 14.6% of the lesions recurred (6/41) with mild thickening of the scar and underwent to further treatments. The second group (40 patients, 42 keloids) results showed a 90.5% of keloids which did not recur during a follow-up period (3 months-2 years), while 9.5% of the lesions recurred (4/42) with mild thickening of the scar and underwent to further treatments. CONCLUSIONS Lasers demonstrated a synergistic effect when combined together and an excellent outcome has been obtained in the 88% of treated lesions, with a slighter higher prevalence of excellent outcome of the group treated with a further procedure with Enerjet.