Delineating Injectable Triamcinolone-Induced Cutaneous Atrophy and Therapeutic Options in 24 Patients—A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: Steroids being the strongest anti-inflammatory agents are used in innumerable disorders in various formulations with excellent results and seemingly known side effects as well. Triamcinolone acetonide used as intralesional injections is seen to be associated with localized atrophy in some patients. AIM: To describe the cases of steroid-induced localized atrophy/lipoatrophy after intralesional triamcinolone over various parts of the body in a retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients, with localized atrophy/lipoatrophy with a history of intralesional triamcinolone, were evaluated clinically and histopathologically over the last 3 years. Patients with localized atrophy/lipoatrophy without a history of intralesional steroids were excluded from the study. Patients were evaluated for number, duration, sites, size, shape, and morphology of lesions and response to treatment. RESULTS: There were 24 patients (13 females and 11 males) who had intralesional steroid-induced atrophy/lipoatrophy.All but one patient (4-year-old male child) were adults. Buttock (50%) was the most common site involved followed by wrist (25%), scalp (16.6%), malleolus, and neck (4.1%) each. The most common presentation was asymptomatic depigmented atrophic single oval or ameboid plaque with radial extensions. Histopathology was done in 10 patients showing diminished subcutaneous fat lobules with minimal inflammatory cells. Sixteen patients (66.6%) improved with medications (tacrolimus, platelet-rich plasma, and saline injections), and seven were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroids act as a double-edged sword so should be used cautiously. Depigmentation/atrophy is a peculiar side effect of intralesional triamcinolone. Depigmented lesions with minimal clinical atrophy respond well to topical tacrolimus, while normal saline injections appear to have promising results in steroid-induced lipoatrophy.