Laser scar therapy, particularly fractional ablative laser resurfacing, represents a promising and vastly underused tool in the multidisciplinary treatment of traumatic scars. Changes to existing scar treatment paradigms should include extensive integration of fractional resurfacing and other combination therapies guided by future research.

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Our report confirms the clinical and histologic characteristics of NFD that have been described previously, and raises new issues regarding the possible subtypes. A review of the current literature stresses that further basic science and translational studies are necessary to understand the disease mechanism and to propose effective therapy, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the systemic effects of NFD.

This study supports the hypothesis that PK is a disorder of hyperproliferative keratinocytes exhibiting similarity at the molecular level to psoriasis. Consequently, some therapeutic modalities efficacious for psoriasis may be of benefit in PK.

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The aim of this study is to determine objective and subjective changes in mature hypertrophic burn scars treated with a fractional ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Background: Fractional CO 2 laser treatment has been reported to improve burn scars, with increasing clinical use despite a paucity of controlled, prospective clinical studies using objective measures of improvement. Methods: A multicenter, site-controlled, prospective open-label study was conducted from 2013 to 2016. Objective and patient-reported outcome measures were documented at baseline, at each monthly laser treatment, and 6 months after treatment. Objective measurements employed were: mechanical skin torque to measure viscoelastic properties; ultrasonic imaging to measure scar thickness; and reflectometry to measure erythema and pigmentation. Subjective measures included health-related quality of life, patient and investigator scar assessment scales, and blinded scoring of before and after photographs. Subjects aged 11 years or older with hypertrophic burn scars were recruited. Each subject received 3 monthly treatment sessions with an ablative fractionated CO 2 laser. Results: Twenty-nine subjects were enrolled, of whom 26 received at least 1 fractional CO 2 laser treatment and 22 received 3 treatments. Mean age of those completing all 3 treatments was 28 years. Statistically significant objective improvements in elastic stretch (P < 0.01), elastic recovery (P < 0.01), extensibility (P < 0.01), and thickness (P < 0.01) were noted. Patient-and physician-reported scar appearance and pain/pruritus were significantly improved (P < 0.01). There was no regression of improvement for at least 6 months after treatment. Conclusions: Fractional ablative laser treatment provides significant, sustained improvement of elasticity, thickness, appearance, and symptoms of mature hypertrophic burn scars.

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