Promising Results from a Pilot Study on Compression Treatment of Ear Keloids

Background: Ear keloids continue to be a therapeutic challenge. Objective: To evaluate the clinical success of a modified "oyster splint technique." Methods: Ten patients with an ear keloid agreed to receive the compression therapy. After surgical removal, a compressive device made of acrylic resin was applied on top of a silicone gel sheet and patients were asked to wear the splint 23 hours a day for at least 8 months. If the scar showed a tendency to grow, corticosteroids were injected intralesionally. In addition to recurrence rate, other parameters and wearing times were obtained by an interview. Results: Two of 10 patients experienced a recurrence in a mean follow-up period of 18.2 months (range 4-44 months). The daily wearing time of the compression splint was critical for the success of the treatment (p = .022). The splint had to be worn at least 10 hours a day for a minimum of 8 months to prevent recurrence. However, the need for additional intralesional steroid injections was significantly lower in patients wearing the splint for more than 20 hours per day (p = .048). The splint treatment was painless for 80% of patients. The therapeutic result was given a median mark of 1.75 (1 = best, 6 = worst). Conclusion: Although it requires considerable time and effort, the technique seems to be a promising therapy.