Treatment of hypertrophic scars with intralesional botulinum toxin type A injections: a preliminary report.

Author(s): Xiao Z, Zhang F, Cui Z

Affiliation(s): Department of Plastic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China. xiaozhibodoctor@yahoo.com.cn

Publication date & source: 2009-05, Aesthetic Plast Surg., 33(3):409-12. Epub 2009 Apr 9.

Publication type: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic scar is the abnormal appearance of wound healing that usually causes major physical, psychological, and cosmetic problems. Treatment of the hypertrophic scar still is a dilemma due to the lack of effective and excellent methods and agents. Recent reports show that botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) improves wound healing. Therefore, the authors hypothesized that BTX-A may be favorable for the improvement of hypertrophic scars. METHODS: A total of 19 patients were randomly assigned to a prospective clinical study. At 1-month intervals, BTX-A (2.5 U per cubic centimeter of lesion) was injected in these patients for a total of 3 months. All the patients were followed up for at least half a year. Therapeutic satisfaction was recorded, and the lesions were assessed for erythema, itching sensation, and pliability. RESULTS: The study was completed by 19 patients. At the half-year follow-up visits, all the patients showed acceptable improvement, and the rate of therapeutic satisfaction was very high. The erythema score, itching sensation score, and pliability score after the BTX-A injection all were significantly lower than before the BTX-A injection. The differences all were statistically significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: For the treatment of hypertrophic scars, doctors and patients both found BTX-A acceptable because of its better therapeutic results. Its effect of eliminating or decreasing hypertrophic scars was promising.