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Topical Cryotherapy and Keloid/Hypertrophic Scars

Topical Cryotherapy to Reduce Pain During Steroid Injections for Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars: A Pilot Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07336368
Enrollment
30
Registered
2026-01-13
Start date
2026-06-10
Completion date
2027-08-01
Last updated
2026-06-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypertrophic Scars, Keloid Scars

Keywords

Keloid scars, Hypertrophic scars, Cryotherapy, Intralesional corticosteroids, Pain reduction, Injection resistance, Injection pain

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether the application of brief topical cryotherapy immediately before intralesional corticosteroid injections can reduce pain and injection resistance during routine treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars in adult patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does topical cryotherapy applied before intralesional triamcinolone injection impact pain perceptions for participants with keloids or hypertrophic scars? Does topical cryotherapy affect provider-assessed injection resistance compared with standard injection alone? Researchers will split the keloid/hypertrophic scar into two halves. One half will be treated with cryotherapy followed by steroid injection, while the other half will be treated with steroid injection alone to evaluate differences in pain perception and injection resistance. Participants will rate pain after each injection using a 10-point numeric pain scale. Clinicians will rate the resistance after each injection using a 10-point numeric scale.

Interventions

liquid nitrogen spray (\~10 seconds)

Intralesional triamcinolone

Sponsors

Sonal Choudhary
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adults (≥18 years) with keloids or hypertrophic scars already scheduled to receive intralesional triamcinolone (TAC) as part of routine care. * At least one keloid or hypertrophic scar with two comparable regions (≥2 cm each) suitable for split-treatment. * Able to provide informed consent and complete pain assessments in English.

Exclusion criteria

* Keloid or hypertrophic scar located on the face (except earlobes), excluded for cosmetic reasons. * Prior treatment to the study-selected keloid/hypertrophic scar based on self-report. * Inability to complete study assessments due to cognitive or language barriers.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient pain perceptionsImmediately following intralesional corticosteroid injection (same visit)Pain perception during intralesional corticosteroid injection will be assessed using a patient-reported numeric rating scale (0 = No pain, 10 = Very severe pain).
Provider-reported resistance of injectionImmediately following intralesional corticosteroid injection (same visit)Dermatology providers will rate resistance of the intralesional corticosteroid injection using a 10-point numeric scale (0 = No resistance to 10 = Very strong resistance).

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTSonal Choudhary, MD
choudharys@upmc.edu7867182737
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSonal Choudhary

University of Pittsburgh

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 13, 2026