THE COMPARISON BETWEEN TRICHLOROACETIC ACID 50% AND CO(2) LASER IN THE TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS SCAR

BACKGROUND: The scars of the cutaneous leishmaniasis and psychological problems of this disease need different interventions for its correction. AIM: Our objective in this study was to compare the efficacy of 50% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution and CO(2) laser for treatment of the atrophic scars due to leishmaniasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a randomized clinical trial performed in 92 patients. Patients were randomized into two groups: the first group was treated with 50% TCA solution, once monthly and for a maximum of 5 months, and the second group was treated with CO(2) laser which was performed for only one time. Patients were followed-up at 3 and 6 months after starting the treatment. The improvement of scar was graded by a 6-point scale using digital camera and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: In this study, 74 females and 18 males were enrolled. The improvement of scar was 48.13% in the TCA group and 44.87% in the CO(2) laser group. This difference was not statically significant (P = 0.55). There was also no significant difference regarding side effects between these two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of our study showed that efficacy of focal with 50% TCA solution is compared with CO(2) laser in treatment of leishmaniasis scar. Because of the low cost and simple application of TCA solution in comparison with CO(2) laser, we suggest use of this treatment for correction of leishmaniasis scar or the atrophic scars.