To explain the mechanism of action of a novel intralesional cryoprobe, thermal
behavior measurements, and histological studies were performed in swine muscle
specimens after intralesional cryosurgery ex vivo. Efficacy and safety of the intralesional cryoprobe was further assessed in ten recalcitrant auricular keloids in
nine Caucasian patients.

Although therapeutic management of hypertrophic scars and keloids using contact or spray cryosurgery has yielded significant improvement or complete regression of hypertrophic scars and keloids, it requires one to 20 treatment sessions. This study was designed to assess the clinical safety and efficacy of an intralesional needle cryoprobe method in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids.

This 15-month study was designed to compare the effect of skin surface temperature on skin pigmentation following a single intralesional or contact cryosurgical treatment of keloids.

Keloid and hypertrophic scarring represent chronic disfiguring dermatoses with a high resistance to therapy. The aim of our study was to assess for the first time the quality of life of patients with hypertrophic scars and keloids, because they suffer from quality of life impairment as much as patients with other chronic skin
diseases. An item-pool was created modifying and supplementing the items of the Questionnaire on Experience with Skin Complaints.

In the context of growing aesthetic awareness, a rising number of patients feel
disappointed with their scars and are frequently seeking help for functional and aesthetic improvement. However, excessive scarring following surgery or trauma remains difficult to improve despite a plethora of advocated treatment strategies as frequently observed in daily clinical routine. It is thus still preferable to prevent scarring by minimizing risk factors as much as possible.

A variety of treatment modalities have beenproposed to treat keloid scars, but outcomes are often disappointing. Intralesional cryosurgery may significantly re-
duce these scars.

Scarring following chemical peeling of the face is the worst fear for the treating physician. This case report describes the successful treatment of a large mature keloid of the upper lip following deep chemical peeling by using intralesional cryosurgery.

Hypertrophic and keloid scarring remain notoriously troublesome for patients to tolerate and frustratingly difficult for clinicians to treat. Many different treatment modalities exist, signifying the failure of any method to achieve consistently excellent results. Intralesional cryotherapy is a relatively recent development that uses a double lumen needle, placed through the core of a keloid or hypertrophic scar, to deliver nitrogen vapour, which freezes the scar from its core, outwards.

Keloid scars are notoriously difficult to treat with very high recurrence rates despite a range of treatment options. We present a case report of a 43-year-old man with a resistant keloid scar on his left ear from a piercing. After 15 years of multimodal treatments including surgery, steroid and 5-fluorourcil injections, the keloid persisted. It has responded very well to a single treatment of intralesional cryotherapy (trademark: CryoShape, Etgar Group International Ltd). The authors would now consider intralesional cryotherapy as a useful tool in their armamentarium for prominent, resistant or recurrent keloids. Future experience will guide its clinical applications.