Intralesional Triamcinolone Alone Vs. Combined Platelet-Rich Plasma for Keloid Treatment

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide alone versus its combination with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of keloids. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Dermatology, MTI-Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan, from March to September 2022. Methodology: Sixty patients with refractory keloids were enrolled and randomly assigned to two equal groups. Group A received intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (20 mg/mL) injections every three weeks for a total of four sessions. Group B received the same regimen of triamcinolone, supplemented with autologous PRP injections administered one week after each corticosteroid session. PRP was prepared using a two-step centrifugation technique and activated with calcium chloride before intralesional injection. Treatment response was assessed using the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) at 12 weeks. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23.0, with a p-value <= 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Significant clinical improvement (>= 50% VSS reduction) was observed in 86.7% of patients in Group B compared to 33.3% in Group A (p <0.001). Conclusion: Combining intralesional triamcinolone acetonide with PRP is significantly more effective than corticosteroid monotherapy in the treatment of keloids.