Pain and Itch Reduction in Burn Scars Treated With Fractional CO2 Laser

Hypertrophic Scar Clinical Trial

Official title: Evaluating the Mechanism of Pain and Itch Reduction in Burn Scars Following Fractional Ablative CO2 Laser Treatment

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Hypertrophic Burn Scars (HTBS) are often treated with Fractional CO2 laser therapy to improve cosmetic appearance. It has been noted that this leads to a reduction in the pain and itch associated with this type of scars. While this phenomenon is commonly described in the literature, the mechanism of pain and itch reduction in unclear. The investigators aim to better understand this process by histological evaluation of HTBS at different stages of laser treatment.

Clinical Trial Description

During our study, patients with painful and/or itchy burn scars will undergo standard treatment with fractional CO2 laser. In addition to the standard of care treatment, participants will undergo skin biopsies and be asked to complete Patient Reported Outcome Measure questionnaires related to their HTBS. Burn scars will also undergo standard and 3 dimensional photography at the different stages of treatment. Biopsy samples will undergo various staining techniques to establish the changes in tissue that occur with the laser treatment. This information will also be correlated with the symptomatic changes. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Burn Scar
• Burns
• Cicatrix
• Cicatrix, Hypertrophic
• Hypertrophic Scar

• NCT number: NCT04364217
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Contact: Nisrine Kawa, MD
• Phone: 6177242168
• Email: nikawa@mgh.harvard.edu
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: June 25, 2020
• Completion date: July 2025