Korean J Dermatol.  2014 May;52(5):293-301.

A Comparative Study of the Efficacy and Safety of 100% TCA CROSS and Phenol CROSS for Atrophic Acne Scarring

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Dermatology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea. cardura@naver.com

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Atrophic acne scars have been treated using various modalities. The CROSS (Chemical Reconstruction of Skin Scars) technique using 100% TCA has the advantage of reconstructing acne scars by focusing on dermal thickening and collagen production. However, the phenol CROSS technique is not widely used for acne scarring.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of 100% TCA CROSS and phenol CROSS in the treatment of facial atrophic acne scars.
METHODS
Twenty-four participants were randomly and equally divided into 2 groups: group 1 received 2 sessions (8 weeks apart) of 100% TCA CROSS, while group 2 received 2 sessions (8 weeks apart) of phenol CROSS. The severity of atrophic acne scarring and treatment efficacies were evaluated by standardized photography, patient satisfaction, physician global assessment, and the ECCA grading scale. Side effects were assessed at the 8- and 20-week visits.
RESULTS
At the 0-, 8-, and 20-week visits, both groups showed an acceptable improvement in patient satisfaction and physician global assessment. ECCA grading scale scores improved by a mean of 22.2% (p<0.05) in group 1 and 19.1% (p<0.05) in group 2. The between-group difference in the degree of ECCA score improvement was not statistically significant (p=0.392). Complications such as pain, crust, postcrust erythema, postcrust dryness, and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation were observed in both treatment groups. However, no severe side effects occurred in either group.
CONCLUSION
Both 100% TCA CROSS and phenol CROSS are effective treatment modalities for atrophic acne scarring without significant side effects.

Keyword

Acne scar; Atrophic scarring; Trichloroacetic acid; Phenol

MeSH Terms

Acne Vulgaris*
Cicatrix*
Collagen
Erythema
Hyperpigmentation
Patient Satisfaction
Phenol*
Photography
Skin
Trichloroacetic Acid
Collagen
Phenol
Trichloroacetic Acid
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