Evaluation of Clinical and Ultrasound Changes With the Use of Microneedling Versus Fractional CO2 Laser in Atrophic Acne Scars

Evaluation of Clinical and Ultrasound Changes With the Use of Microneedling Versus Fractional CO2 Laser in Atrophic Acne Scars

Authors

  • Claudio Ñanco Meléndez Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Mathias Yagnam Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Marco Muñoz Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Javier Contador Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Walter Gubelin Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Fernando Chicao School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
  • Jerry Tan Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
  • Ximena Wortsman Institute for Diagnostic Imaging and Research of the Skin and Soft Tissues, Santiago, Chile https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3359-5023

Keywords:

scars, acne vulgaris, ultrasound, dermatology, CO2 laser

Abstract

Introduction: Atrophic acne scarring, a common sequela of acne, can be treated by different interventions, including microneedling and laser resurfacing.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the comparative efficacy of microneedling versus fractional CO2 laser in treating atrophic acne facial scars using clinical outcomes and imaging with high and ultra-high frequency ultrasound.

Methods: Participants received 2 sessions, separated by 1 month, of microneedling on the left side of the face and fractional CO2 laser on the right. Clinical and color Doppler ultrasound evaluations (24 and 70 MHz) were conducted at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Each patient completed questionnaires on satisfaction, pain, and adverse effects.

Results: Nine subjects were enrolled. The frequency order of scar types was boxcar, ice pick, and rolling. At 3 months, a decrease in scar scores was observed for total scars using ECCA scale (p= 0,0005), ice pick scars (p= 0.0128), and rolling scars (p= 0.0007). Both treatments were rated as good or very good by patient assessments. There was a low frequency of pain and hyperpigmentation reported with both modalities, albeit somewhat higher with microneedling. Twenty-two scars analyzed by ultrasound demonstrated a trend to decrease in size; however, no significant changes were observed for either microneedling or CO2 laser treatments. Moreover, there were no significant differences between these methods.

Conclusion: Both microneedling and CO2 laser improved atrophic acne scars. Ultrasound did not show significant differences between these modalities.

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Published

2024-07-31

How to Cite

1.
Evaluation of Clinical and Ultrasound Changes With the Use of Microneedling Versus Fractional CO2 Laser in Atrophic Acne Scars. Dermatol Pract Concept [Internet]. 2024 Jul. 31 [cited 2024 Oct. 10];14(3):e2024168. Available from: https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc/article/view/4062

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