Surgical Excision Followed by Low Dose Rate Radiotherapy in the Management of Resistant Keloids

BACKGROUND: Depending on the cause, 40-90% of every deep dermis insult ends up in scar formation. Several modalities have been suggested as a treatment but a high rate of recurrence is reported in most of those interventions. High dose radiotherapy has been shown to be effective in reducing the recurrence rate. This study tried to determine the effectiveness of low dose rate radiotherapy following surgical excision in treating resistant keloids. METHODS: Between January 2008 and April 2011, seventeen patients (mostly burn patients) with 26 keloids went through surgical resection followed by radiotherapy. A total dose of 15 Gy in 5 fractions was administered to the areas of scar formation. RESULTS: All patients were followed for at least 11 months (mostly for 20 months). No recurrence occurred. There was no complication or adverse effect. CONCLUSION: Surgical excision followed by low dose postoperative radiotherapy was an efficient treatment for keloids that were resistant to many other modalities.