OBJECTIVES: Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have certain side effects in the treatment of hypertrophic scar, and the scar recurrence is easy after withdrawal of steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. Finding reliable alternative drugs is an effective means to improve this defect. Aspirin, a traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is safe for topical use and has anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may have similar effects on the treatment of hypertrophic scar. This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect of aspirin on the proliferation of hypertrophic scar in rabbit ears and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The rabbit ear hypertrophic scar models were prepared. The rabbits were randomly divided into a normal skin group (group A), a blank control group (group B), a 0.9% NaCl group (group C), a 0.2% aspirin group (group D), a 0.5% aspirin group (group E), a 2% aspirin group (group F), and a triamcinolone acetonide group (group G). Macroscopic observation of hyperplasia was performed 8 weeks after local injection of the scar, followed by collecting the scar tissue samples for HE staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemistry, respectively to assess the proliferation of fibroblasts and collagen fibers, and calculate the hypertrophic index, microvessel density, and immunohistochemical score. RESULTS: All rabbit ear hypertrophic scar models were successfully constructed. In groups B and C, the hypertrophic scar edge was irregular, with reddish protruding epidermis, significant contracture and hard touch. In group D, E, and F, with the increase of aspirin administration concentration, the scar became thinner and gradually flat, the proliferation of fibrocytes and collagen fibers was weakened, and the hypertrophic index was gradually decreased (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of β-catenin was decreased in the group D, E and F in turn, and the immunohistochemical score was gradually decreased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in hypertrophic index, microvessel density, and immunohistochemical score (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Local injection of aspirin can reduce the generation of hypertrophic scar in a dose-dependent manner within a certain concentration range; aspirin inhibits the growth of hypertrophic scar in rabbit ears by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway; 2% aspirin and 40 mg/mL triamcinolone acetonide have similar curative efficacy on hypertrophic scar.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Aspirin/therapeutic use* ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/pathology* ; Collagen ; Rabbits ; Signal Transduction ; Triamcinolone Acetonide/therapeutic use* ; beta Catenin/metabolism*

Objective: To explore the effects of pulsed dye laser (PDL) and ultra-pulsed fractional carbon dioxide laser (UFCL) combined with multipoint microinjection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of red hypertrophic scar at early stage in burn children. Methods: A retrospective cohort before-after control study in the same patients was conducted. From February 2019 to December 2020, a total of 67 burn children who met the inclusion criteria (32 males and 35 females, aged 1 to 12 years) with red hyperplastic scar at early stage, were treated in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (1^st Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University). All the children were treated with composite laser technique (PDL and UFCL) combined with triamcinolone acetonide (hereinafter referred to as combined treatment). After 2 months, they received the second combined treatment. Before the first combined treatment and 6 months after the last combined treatment, the scar of children was evaluated with the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) by physicians and family members. Six months after the last combined treatment, the satisfaction of the patients' family members with the efficacy was recorded and the overall satisfaction rate was calculated. Adverse reactions were recorded throughout the treatment process. Data were statistically analyzed with paired sample t test. Results: Six months after the last combined treatment, the POSAS scores of children on the thickness, blood vessels distribution, color, surface roughness, texture, scope, and overall evaluation of scar evaluated by the physicians, and the POSAS scores of children on the color, degree of pain, degree of itching, hardness, thickness, shape and size, and overall evaluation of scar evaluated by the family members were significantly lower than those before the first combined treatment (with t values of 17.32, 16.73, 15.00, 14.91, 19.62, 28.74, 29.83, 17.43, 20.52, 29.01, 28.82, 24.91, 20.30, and 42.13, respectively, P<0.01). Six months after the last combined treatment, 62 (93%), 3 (4%), and 2 (3%) children's family members were very satisfied, satisfied, and relatively satisfied with the treatment effect, respectively, and the overall satisfaction rate was 97% (65/67). Six months after the last combined treatment, no scar thickening or infection occurred in all the wounds of children. Conclusions: Composite laser technique combined with multipoint microinjection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of red hypertrophic scar at early stage in burn children can improve the appearance and texture of scar, reduce scar pain and pruritus, with high satisfaction of children's family members to the treatment effect and less adverse reactions.
Burns/therapy* ; Child ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/pathology* ; Female ; Humans ; Lasers, Gas ; Male ; Microinjections ; Pain ; Pruritus ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Triamcinolone Acetonide/therapeutic use*

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of pulsed dye laser (PDL) dynamically combined with triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) in the treatment of keloids. Methods: A retrospectively observational study was conducted. From April 2015 to October 2020, 34 keloid patients (46 keloids) who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Huaihe Hospital of Henan University. The patients were divided into TAC group and dynamic treatment group according to their treatment methods. There were 18 patients (26 keloids) in TAC group, including 8 males and 10 females, aged (30±12) years, who were treated with TAC injection alone. There were 16 patients (20 keloids) in dynamic treatment group, including 6 males and 10 females, aged (26±11) years, who were treated with TAC injection, PDL, or PDL combined with TAC injection according to the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score before each treatment. Before the first treatment (hereinafter referred to as before treatment) and 12 months after the first treatment (hereinafter referred to as after treatment), the keloids were assessed by VSS, patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS), and the effect of keloids on the quality of life of patients was evaluated with dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scale. Twelve months after treatment, the curative effect of keloid was evaluated according to the VSS score and the effective rate was calculated. The first effective time and the cumulative times of TAC injection at the first effective time, the number of follow-up and the occurrence of adverse reactions of keloids within 12 months after treatment were recorded, and the incidence of adverse reactions was calculated. Data were statistically analyzed with paired sample t test, independent sample t test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability test. Results: The total VSS scores of patients' keloids in TAC group and dynamic treatment group 12 months after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (with t values of 7.53 and 8.09, respectively, P<0.01), and the total scores of pigmentation and vascularity in VSS and POSAS, the total POSAS score, and the DLQI scale score were significantly lower than those before treatment (with Z values of -3.71, -4.04, -4.21, -4.11, -3.76, -3.73, -3.92, and -3.93, respectively, P<0.01). The total scores of pigmentation and vascularity in VSS and POSAS of patients' keloids in dynamic treatment group 12 months after treatment were significantly lower than those in TAC group (with Z values of -2.03 and -2.12, respectively, P<0.05). Twelve months after treatment, the effective rate of patients' keloids in dynamic treatment group was significantly higher than that in TAC group (χ²=3.88, P<0.05). The first effective time of patients' keloids in dynamic treatment group was 5.5 (2.0, 6.0) months, which was significantly shorter than 6.0 (2.3, 10.3) months in TAC group (χ²=4.02, P<0.05). The cumulative times of TAC injection at the first effective time of patients' keloids in dynamic treatment group was 3.2±1.7, which was significantly less than 4.2±1.8 in TAC group (t=2.09, P<0.05). The number of follow-up of patients' keloids within 12 months after treatment in dynamic treatment group was significantly more than that in TAC group (t=-2.94, P<0.01), and the total incidence of adverse reactions was lower than that in TAC group but without statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared with TAC injection alone, PDL dynamically combined with TAC in the treatment of keloid can shorten the effective time, reduce the number of TAC injection, and improve the patient's compliance and clinical efficacy.
Female ; Humans ; Keloid/pathology* ; Lasers, Dye/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Triamcinolone Acetonide/therapeutic use*

To evaluate therapeutic effect of combined injection of salvizanolic acid B with triamcinolone acetonide on the treatment of the soft palate with oral submucous fibrosis.
 Methods: Salvizanolic acid B combined with triamcinolone acetonide was consecutively applied once a week for 30 weeks for 33 patients with middle and later periods of oral submucous fibrosis. The response rate of color change in the soft palate and the increase of capillary vessels (determined by degree I-IV visual analog scale) were evaluated at the 12th, 24th, and 36th months after 30 weeks treatment.
 Results: Thirty-three patients were fulfilled the study without obvious adverse reactions and they were followed up for 24 months, while 31 patients were followed up for 36 months. The color change in the soft palatal mucus and the increase of capillary vessels at the 36th month follow-up after treatment were significantly better than those at the 12th month (P=0.004).
 Conclusion: Combined injection of salvizanolic acid B with triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of the soft palate with oral submucous fibrosis is effective.
Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis ; drug therapy ; Palate, Soft ; Treatment Outcome ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; therapeutic use

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection on refractory diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection failure. METHODS: Patients with DME and central subfield thickness (CST) >300 microm who did not respond to IVB injections were retrospectively included. Specifically, we enrolled patients who were diagnosed with refractory DME and who experienced an increase in CST after 1 to 2 IVB injections or no decrease after > or =3 consecutive IVB injections. One clinician injected 20 mg of triamcinolone acetonide into the posterior subtenon space. All patients received ophthalmic examinations at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months post-baseline. Examinations included Snellen visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Forty eyes of 34 patients were included. The average baseline CST was 476 microm. The average CST decreased to 368 microm at 2 months, 374 microm at 4 months, and 427 microm at 6 months (p < 0.001 for all results, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The average intraocular pressure increased from 15.50 to 16.92 mmHg at 2 months but decreased to 16.30 mmHg at 4 months and 15.65 mmHg at 6 months. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity improved from 0.56 to 0.50 at 2 months (p = 0.023), 0.50 at 4 months (p = 0.083), and 0.48 at 6 months (p = 0.133, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). No complications were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide is an effective and safe treatment for reducing CST in DME refractory to IVB.
Aged ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab/*therapeutic use ; Diabetic Retinopathy/diagnostic imaging/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Female ; Glucocorticoids/*administration & dosage ; Humans ; Injections, Intraocular ; Intraocular Pressure/physiology ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema/diagnostic imaging/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tenon Capsule/*drug effects ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Treatment Failure ; Triamcinolone Acetonide/*administration & dosage ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors ; Visual Acuity/physiology

Administration, Cutaneous ; Administration, Topical ; Betamethasone Valerate ; therapeutic use ; China ; Clobetasol ; therapeutic use ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; Ethnic Groups ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; epidemiology ; India ; Lichen Planus ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Triamcinolone ; therapeutic use

Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Autoimmune Diseases ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Graves Ophthalmopathy ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

The Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) performs studies on new treatments for diabetic retinopathy. This review aims to summarise recent findings from DRCR.net studies on the treatment of diabetic macular oedema. We performed a PubMed search of articles from the DRCR.net, which included all studies pertaining to the treatment of diabetic maculopathy. The main outcome measures were retinal thickening as assessed by central subfield thickness on optical coherence tomography and improvement of visual acuity on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart. Findings from each study were divided into modalities of treatment, namely photocoagulation, bevacizumab, triamcinolone, ranibizumab and vitrectomy. While modified ETDRS focal/grid laser remains the standard of care, intravitreal corticosteroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents have also proven to be effective, although they come with associated side effects. The choice of treatment modality for diabetic macular oedema is a clinical judgement call, and depends on the patient's clinical history and assessment.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; therapeutic use ; Biomedical Research ; organization & administration ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; therapy ; Disease Management ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Light Coagulation ; Macular Edema ; therapy ; Ranibizumab ; therapeutic use ; Retina ; pathology ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Triamcinolone ; therapeutic use ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

We present a case of ocular toxocariasis treated successfully with oral albendazole in combination with steroids. A 26-year-old male visited the authors' clinic with the chief complaint of flying flies in his right eye. The fundus photograph showed a whitish epiretinal scar, and the fluorescein angiography revealed a hypofluorescein lesion of the scar and late leakage at the margin. An elevated retinal surface and posterior acoustic shadowing of the scar were observed in the optical coherence tomography, and Toxocara IgG was positive. The patient was diagnosed with toxocariasis, and the condition was treated with albendazole (400 mg twice a day) for a month and oral triamcinolone (16 mg for 2 weeks, once a day, and then 8 mg for 1 week, once a day) from day 13 of the albendazole treatment. The lesions decreased after the treatment. Based on this study, oral albendazole combined with steroids can be a simple and effective regimen for treating ocular toxocariasis.
Adult ; Albendazole/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Anthelmintics/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; Eye Diseases/*drug therapy/*parasitology ; Humans ; Male ; Toxocariasis/*drug therapy ; Triamcinolone/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDIntravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs and corticosteroids are being widely used to treat diabetic macular edema (DME). The purpose of this study was to evaluate further the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) alone in comparison with intravitreal bevacizumab combined with triamcinolone acetonide (IVB/IVT) in the treatment of DME.

METHODSPertinent publications were identified through CNKI, PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to November 30, 2013. Two investigators independently assessed the quality of the trials, and changes in central macular thickness (CMT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were extracted at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the initial treatment. A meta-analysis was carried out to compare the results between the groups receiving IVB and IVB/IVT using the software RevMan 5.0.

RESULTSA total of six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and included. The meta-analysis revealed that a significant reduction of the CMT was observed at 3 months after the initial treatment in the IVB/IVT group compared to the IVB group (P = 0.001). Also, changes in CMT at 6 weeks and 6, 12, and 24 months did not vary significantly between the IVB and IVB/IVT groups (P = 0.53, 0.76, 0.34, and 0.09, respectively). Similarly, changes in BCVA at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months also did not vary significantly between the two groups (P = 0.66, 0.98, 0.81, 0.07, and 0.80, respectively). The results were robust to sensitivity analyses. However, the rate of intraocular pressure (IOP) rise after intravitreal injections varied significantly between the IVB and IVB/IVT groups (P < 0.01). A publication bias was not detected by funnel plots, the Egger method, or the Begg method.

CONCLUSIONS RESULTSof this meta-analysis showed that the treatments with IVB alone and combined IVB/IVT were similarly effective in improving the visual acuity, and, to some degree; combined IVB/IVT appeared to offer a marginal advantage over IVB in decreasing CMT in patients with DME. However, the addition of IVT resulted in intraocular pressure rise in some treated patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema ; drug therapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use