Intralesional verapamil in the treatment of keloids: A clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical study

Pharmacotherapy for Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars

Keloids (KD) and hypertrophic scars (HTS), which are quite raised and pigmented and have increased vascularization and cellularity, are formed due to the impaired healing process of cutaneous injuries in some individuals having family history and genetic factors. These scars decrease the quality of life (QOL) of patients greatly, due to the pain, itching, contracture, cosmetic problems, and so on, depending on the location of the scars. Treatment/prevention that will satisfy patients' QOL is still under development. In this article, we review pharmacotherapy for treating KD and HTS, including the prevention of postsurgical recurrence (especially KD). Pharmacotherapy involves monotherapy using a single drug and combination pharmacotherapy using multiple drugs, where drugs are administered orally, topically and/or through intralesional injection. In addition, pharmacotherapy for KD/HTS is sometimes combined with surgical excision and/or with physical therapy such as cryotherapy, laser therapy, radiotherapy including brachytherapy, and silicone gel/sheeting. The results regarding the clinical effectiveness of each mono-pharmacotherapy for KD/HTS are not always consistent but rather scattered among researchers. Multimodal combination pharmacotherapy that targets multiple sites simultaneously is more effective than mono-pharmacotherapy. The literature was searched using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Online search engines.

Recurrence rates in the treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars with intralesional triamcinolone combined with other intralesional agents

Hypertrophic scars (HTS) and keloids are pathologic scars that are products of a wound healing pathway error attributed to genetic and inflammatory causes (Leventhal et al., Arch Facial Plast Surg 8(6):362-368. https://doi.org/10.1001/archfaci.8.6.362 , 2006). Methods of pathologic scar treatment include intralesional agents, cryotherapy, surgical excision, pressure dressings, topical agents, laser resurfacing, radiotherapy, and other investigational therapies (Leventhal et al. 2006). The recurrence of pathologic scar is high across all treatment modalities, including the use of intralesional agents (Trisliana Perdanasari et al., Arch Plast Surg 41(6):620-629. https://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2014.41.6.620 , 2014). In the treatment of pathologic scar, combination approaches using intralesional agents, such as triamcinolone (TAC), 5-fluorouracil (5FU), verapamil (VER), bleomycin (BLM), and botulinum toxin (BTX), are superior therapies when compared to monotherapy (Yosipovitch et al., J Dermatol Treat 12(2):87-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/095466301317085363 , 2001; Yang et al., Front Med 8:691628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.691628 , 2021; Sun et al., Aesthetic Plast Surg 45(2):791-805. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-019-01570-8 , 2021). This review assesses recurrence and the reporting of recurrence in pathologic scar after treatment with intralesional triamcinolone (TAC) in combination with another intralesional agent. A literature review was conducted using research journals from PubMed using the following search terms: [(keloid) AND (triamcinolone) AND (combination) AND (intralesional)], as well as [(keloid) AND (triamcinolone) AND (combination)]. Articles were reviewed and included if the article analyzed  or compared intralesional agents for pathologic scar treatment within the last 10 years. The average follow-up period of included articles (n = 14) that utilized combination intralesional therapy (TAC-X) was approximately 11 months (range 1-24 months). Consistent recurrence rate reporting across studies was lacking. The combination agent with the highest recurrence rate was TAC-5FU (23.3%). The range of reported recurrence rates was 7.5-23.3%. Six studies using various intralesional combination regimens reported 0% recurrence over the follow-up period (TAC-5FU, TAC-BTX, TAC-BLM, TAC-CRY). Three studies did not report recurrence rates. While the efficacy of combination therapy is typically assessed via scar scales, the assessment of recurrence across studies of combination therapy is inconsistent and inadequate, with truncated follow-up periods. While scar recurrence can take place during 1-year post-treatment, long-term follow-up (18-24 months) is needed to characterize recurrence in the treatment of pathologic scar using various intralesional agents. Long-term follow-up periods allow patients to receive accurate prognostic information regarding recurrence after combination intralesional therapy. There are limitations to this review in that comparisons were made across studies with varying outcome variables, including scar size, injection concentration and interval, and follow-up period. Standardized follow-up periods and recurrence rate reporting are integral to furthering the understanding of these therapies and enhancing patient care.

Keloid treatments: an evidence-based systematic review of recent advances

BACKGROUND

Keloids are pathologic scars that pose a significant functional and cosmetic burden. They are challenging to treat, despite the multitude of treatment modalities currently available.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to conduct an evidence-based review of all prospective data regarding keloid treatments published between 2010 and 2020.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Embase (Elsevier), and Cochrane Library (Wiley) was performed in November of 2020. Search strategies with the keywords "keloid" and "treatment" were performed by a medical librarian. The search was limited to prospective studies that were peer-reviewed, reported on clinical outcomes of keloid therapies, and were published in the English language between January 1, 2010, and November 24, 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 3462 unique citations were identified, of which 108 studies met inclusion criteria. Current literature supports silicone gel or sheeting with corticosteroid injections as first-line therapy for keloids. Adjuvant intralesional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), bleomycin, or verapamil can be considered, although mixed results have been reported with each. Laser therapy can be used in combination with intralesional corticosteroids or topical steroids with occlusion to improve drug penetration. Excision of keloids with immediate post-excision radiation therapy is an effective option for recalcitrant lesions. Finally, silicone sheeting and pressure therapy have evidence for reducing keloid recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

This review was limited by heterogeneity of subject characteristics and study outcome measures, small sample sizes, and inconsistent study designs. Larger and more robust controlled studies are necessary to further understand the variety of existing and emerging keloid treatments, including corticosteroids, cryotherapy, intralesional injections, lasers, photodynamic therapy, excision and radiation, pressure dressings, and others.

Combined Verapamil-Polydopamine Nanoformulation Inhibits Adhesion Formation in Achilles Tendon Injury Using Rat Model

Introduction

Topical verapamil has been demonstrated to reduce the fibroproliferative scar. Therefore, it was hypothesized that topical verapamil could reduce adhesion formation after tendon repair. The current study aimed to examine the effects of verapamil-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles (VP-PDA NPs) on the adhesion formation of Achilles tendon laceration and repair in a rat model.

Methods

We randomly assigned 72 male Sprague-Dawley rats to the control, the PDA NPs, and the VP-PDA NPs groups (n = 24 per group). The quality of tendon healing was evaluated by the maximal tensile strength four and six weeks after surgery. The degree of tendon adhesion was scored on days 4, 15, 29, and 43 after surgery. The expressions of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagens type I and III were detected through Western blotting or immunohistochemistry at four weeks after surgery.

Results

In vitro release tests revealed that 61.3% of verapamil was released from VP-PDA NPs in four weeks. There was a significant increase in average failure to load in the VP-PDA NPs group (89.27 ± 5.09 N) compared with the PDA NPs group (65.52 ± 2.04 N) (p = 0.003) and the control group (74.52 ± 4.24 N) (p = 0.029). Adhesion scores were significantly reduced in the VP-PDA NPs group at six weeks (3.175 ± 0.08) and four weeks (3.35 ± 0.25) compared with the other groups. Moreover, VP-PDA NPs significantly reduced the expression of vimentin, α-SMA, TGF-β1, and collagens type I and III.

Conclusion

These data suggest that VP-PDA NPs reduced adhesion formation and enhanced tendon healing during rat tendon injury. Since topical verapamil has been used in clinics without side effects, VP-PDA NPs would have direct translation implications. However, its anti-adhesive effects on intrasynovial tendon injury must be examined.

Comparing the Efficacy of Multiple Drugs Injection for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloid: A Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus regarding the choice of injected drugs for pathological scars. Although the clinical efficacy of different drug treatments was shown in many randomized controlled trials, the efficacies of many drugs are inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how different effective drugs are for treating pathological scars. It is anticipated that the study findings may serve as guidelines for plastic surgeons.

METHODS

Relevant literature was extracted from the following databases Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang until June 2022, such as randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating different injected drugs for the treatment of pathological scars, including BTA, TAC, 5-Fu, VER, and BLE.

RESULTS

This network meta-analysis of 1539 patients from 23 articles revealed that the most effective treatment for a pathological scar was TAC + BTA. The effective rate of TAC + BTA combination therapy was significantly different from that of the BTA, TAC, 5-Fu, VER, and BLM monotherapies. TAC+5-FU was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, VER, or BLM alone, and BTA was more effective than both TAC and 5-Fu. The effectiveness of VER and BLM was the same, but both were better than TAC and 5-Fu. No big differences were found between any of the other local injection therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

According to this network meta-analysis, a combination of keloid and hypertrophic scar injection treatment is recommended, especially BTA+TAC. However, this network meta-analysis has some limitations and must be further verified by larger samples and higher quality RCTs.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Treatment of Keloids: A Meta-analysis of Intralesional Triamcinolone, Verapamil, and Their Combination

Keloids are skin lesions of abnormal and excessive scar proliferation that have no agreed upon gold standard of therapy. Extensive research in this area has shown that both intralesional triamcinolone and verapamil are effective in their treatment.

Update on management of keloid and hypertrophic scars: A systemic review

Numerous therapeutic strategies have been described for prevention and reduction of hypertrophic scars and keloids, but none of the treatments is effective in all patients. No universal consensus in treatment regimen has been established, and there is limited evidence-based literature to guide the correct management. The process of scar development is complex and requires deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause their development and recurrences. Despite many available modes of targeting keloid and hypertrophic scars, yet they remain an ongoing challenge to patients and clinicians. To date, no one therapy has been universally accepted as the gold standard for the treatment of all excessive scars nor has the capability of complete scar resolution The search of literature included peer-reviewed articles including clinical trials and scientific reviews. Literature was identified from electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed) through May 2021 and references of respective articles and only the articles published in English language were included.