Intralesional injection with
corticosteroid remains the mainstay of
therapy for
hypertrophic scars and
keloids, however some lesions are unresponsive or may result in skin
atrophy. Intralesional
bleomycin injection is an alternative
therapy that has been widely reported. In order to compare the effectiveness and safety of
bleomycin for the treatment of
keloids and
hypertrophic scars in skin of color population, Fitzpatrick skin type III to V patients with
keloids or
hypertrophic scars were randomized into two groups. Group A was treated monthly with intralesional
triamcinolone acetonide (10 mg/mL), while group B with intralesional
bleomycin (1 mg/mL) for three consecutive months. Evaluation of the treatment was performed using "Patient and Observer
Scar Assessment Scale" (POSAS), self-rated patient satisfaction score, photography, and ultrasonography. Two patients had their
bleomycin blood levels monitored. Twenty-six patients with
keloids or
hypertrophic scars were recruited. The clinical improvement as assessed by the POSAS was not statistically significant. In terms of patients satisfaction score, one half of both groups reported a very good improvement. Photographic as well as ultrasonographic evaluation showed no difference between the two groups.
Bleomycin was found to enter the blood circulation in a very small amount. The major side effect was
hyperpigmentation. There was no skin
atrophy detected in this study. Intralesional
bleomycin is a safe and effective treatment for
keloids and
hypertrophic scars. The treatment is comparable to intralesional
triamcinolone. Unfortunately,
hyperpigmentation was the major side effect in darker skin type.