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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02962518

Pressure Device in the Treatment of Ear Keloids

Keloids are benign cutaneous lesions, arising from proliferating fibroblasts. Keloids of the ear may occur after helix piercings and are difficult to treat, since they tend to form recurrences. Guidelines suggest multimodal therapy, however, recurrence rates remain high and prospective randomized trials are still missing.

To unravel the most effective combination of therapeutic options for keloids of the ear, 20 patients will be enrolled in a prospective, randomized trial. Patients either undergo surgery using the "fillet technique" and intra-lesional injections of triamcinolone 10mg /ml every 4 to 6 weeks for 6 months, or they are additionally treated with a non-customized pressure device.

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Key information

Conditions

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medial Center Ulm

Ulm, 89075, Germany

About this study

The prospective randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Germany. 20 patients will be enrolled in the study. Prior to inclusion, informed written consent is obtained from each patient. Patients with immunodeficiency are not included, as well as patients with an infectious disease or patients with a missing capacity for consent. All patients undergo surgery using the fillet technique. To prevent the remaining skin from further damage, the meticulous skin preparation is performed either using the microscope or magnifying glasses. The keloid is "peeled" out of the excessive skin pocket. If necessary skin trimming is performed and non-resorbable monofilament single sutures are placed. The first intracutaneous injection of triamcinolone 10mg/ml is given before wound dressing is placed. A blanching of the lesion marks the endpoint of injection. Cutaneous sutures are removed after approximately 7 days. Injection of triamcinolone is repeated every 4 to 6 weeks for a total of 6 months. When removing the sutures, patients are randomized using consecutive sampling. Patients in group A are treated according to the protocol outlined above, having steroid injections for 6 months after surgical removal of the keloid. Group B involves patients who are additionally treated with non-customized pressure devices. The standardized clips (K. Egner, Dental Technique, Neu-Ulm, Germany) used in our study are available in two different sizes for smaller or larger defects. According to the guidelines of the German Society of Dermatology, patients are advised to wear the clip at least 16 hours per day. Medically approved transparent acrylate is used so that change in skin color and therefore amount of pressure can be observed at all times. Allergic or toxic skin involvement can be visualized through the transparent surface. Adjusting of the clip is done with one or two screws.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Keloids of the helical rim of the ear

Exclusion criteria

  • immunodeficiency
  • infectious disease
  • missing capacity for consent

Treatment and study plan

Pressure Device

Device

Patients undergo surgery using the "fillet technique" and intra-lesional injections of triamcinolone 10mg /ml every 4 to 6 weeks for 6 months and they are additionally treated with a non-customized Pressure Device. The standardized clips (K. Egner, Dental Technique, Neu-Ulm, Germany) used in our study is available in two different sizes for smaller or larger defects. According to the guidelines of the German Society of Dermatology, patients are advised to wear the clip at least 16 hours per day. Medically approved transparent acrylate is used so that change in skin color and therefore amount of pressure can be observed at all times. Allergic or toxic skin involvement can be visualized through the transparent surface. Adjusting of the clip is done with one or two screws.

Fillet Technique

Procedure

Patients undergo surgery using the fillet technique. To prevent the remaining skin from further damage, the meticulous skin preparation is performed either using the microscope or magnifying glasses. The keloid is "peeled" out of the excessive skin pocket. If necessary skin trimming is performed and non-resorbable monofilament single sutures are placed.

Triamcinolone

Drug

All patients received intra-lesional injections of tiamcinolone 10mg/ml every 4 to 6 weeks for 6 months.

Other names: Volon A

Primary outcomes

  1. Recurrence

    Time frame: 12 months

    Keloid recurrence

Secondary outcomes

  1. Aesthetic scar outcome after treatment

    Time frame: 12 months

    assessed by visual analog scale (VAS) scores

  2. Patients satisfaction

    Time frame: 12 months

    assessed by questionnaire

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Ulm

Other

Registry information

Official study title

PRESSURE: Prospektive, Randomisierte Und Kontrollierte Untersuchung Von Lokaler Druckapplikation im Rahmen Der Keloid-Therapie Der Ohrmuschel

Acronym: PRESSURE

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Nov 11, 2016
Registry last updated
Nov 11, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.