The Efficacy of Combining Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser With Verapamil Hydrochloride or 5-Fluorouracil in the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids: A Clinical and Immunohistochemical Study.

Background: Ablative fractional laser-assisted therapy is increasingly used to facilitate drug delivery and intensify clinical efficacy of topically applied drugs.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of combined ablative fractional CO2 laser and topically applied 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or verapamil hydrochloride in the treatment of hypertrophic scars (HTSs) and keloids and to examine their possible effects on TGF-β1 expression.

Patients And Methods: Thirty patients with HTSs and keloids were randomly treated with combined CO2 laser followed by topical verapamil or 5-FU application or CO2 laser monotherapy.