J Korean Soc Plast Reconstr Surg.  2002 May;29(3):169-174.

Treatment of Problem Scars through Intralesional Calcium Antagonist Injection

• Yoon DY
• Lee JR
• Lee MS

Abstract

Scars can be problematic if they accompany the skin rash, tenderness, pruritus, limited joint motion, or various cosmetic complaints. Burn scar contractures, hypertrophic scars, irregular elevated scars and keloids are defined as problem scars. Many treatment modalities for control of excessive scars were introduced, but the results was often difficult to predict and some had high recurrence rates. Among current therapies for scar management, calcium antagonists were reported to induce the increasing activity of collagenase and promote the phenotypic changes in fibroblast. As a result, softening of the scars and lightening of color were established by intralesional calcium antagonist injection. From March 2001 to February 2002, we had treated 25 patients who had problem scars. Our treatment modality was performed that the calcium antagonist, as verapamil, was injected intralesionally with a total of 4 times at intervals of 3 weeks. Through the mean 6.2 months of follow-up period, there were 19 patients who had significant improvement in volume, texture, and color of scars. No complications and recurrence occurred with calcium antagonist injections. Intralesional injection of calcium antagonists has been an effective method for the treatment of problem scars, especially in case of worrying side effects or contraindicated situations in steroid therapy.

Keyword

Problem Scars; Calcium Antagonist

MeSH Terms

Burns
Calcium*
Cicatrix*
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic
Collagenases
Contracture
Exanthema
Fibroblasts
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Injections, Intralesional
Joints
Keloid
Pruritus
Recurrence
Verapamil
Calcium
Collagenases
Verapamil