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to investigate the efficacy and safety of AFLR, with laser- POSAS score, which has a maximum score of 120.15,16 The ocular sur-
assisted delivery of 5-FU, in treating cicatricial ectropion and face disease index is a commonly used 12-question survey in which
periocular scarring. patients rate their symptoms and functional impairment due to dry eye
syndrome, with a maximum score of 100 indicating the most severe dry
METHODS eye morbidity.17 The patient self-appearance satisfaction questionnaire
consists of 4 questions evaluating patient satisfaction with their own
A retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients with
scar appearance, with a maximum score of 40 indicating the greatest
cicatricial ectropion who underwent a standardized clinical treatment
dissatisfaction with the scar.
protocol of AFLR with laser-assisted delivery of 5-FU at a single insti-
For each treatment, laser settings were determined based on
tution. Institutional review board approval was obtained, and the meth-
the area of treatment and thickness of scars, with treatment depths
ods adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and were Health
ranging from 150 m to 900 m, and treatment density ranging from
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant. To qualify for
5% to 11%. Following laser treatment, topical 5-FU (50mg/ml) was
inclusion, patients had to have received at least 3 treatments of AFLR
immediately and liberally applied to the treatment area with subse-
with an ablative fractional laser (erbium:YAG 2940nm, YSGG 2790nm,
quent occlusion of the microscopic treatment zones with petrolatum
or CO2 10,600nm), followed by immediate application of 5-FU to the
ointment. Patients were instructed to apply the petrolatum ointment
treatment area, an off-label application of this compound. A standard-
3 times a day for 1 week following the procedure. Prophylactic oral
ized clinical evaluation was performed prior to initiation of treatment, at
antiviral therapy was initiated 1 day prior to treatment and contin-
each subsequent treatment visit, and several months following the final
ued for 5 days after treatment to prevent reactivation of any latent
treatment. Treatments were typically spaced at 2- to 3-month intervals.
herpetic infection. Sun avoidance was also emphasized. Patients re-
At each visit, external clinical photographs and data evaluating both
turned for evaluation and retreatment roughly 3 months following
functional and cosmetic aspects of periocular scarring were obtained.
each treatment.
Fluorescein staining was performed to assess the status of the cornea
All statistical analyses were performed in Microsoft Excel 2011
and ocular surface with respect to eyelid function. The ocular surface
(Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, U.S.A). A 2-tailed
disease index, a commonly used questionnaire to evaluate symptoms
Students t-test was used to compare paired continuous variables.
of dry eye, was administered. Two questionnaires were administered to
evaluate scar cosmesis: the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale
(POSAS), and a questionnaire developed to gauge patient satisfaction
RESULTS
with scar appearance. A review of medical records yielded 6 patients with cicatricial
Fluorescein corneal staining scores were calculated by summing ectropion who received at least 3 rounds of AFLR treatment at Bascom
the scores of 5 areas (central, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal) Palmer Eye Institute between 2013 and 2015. There were 5 males and
with a maximum score of 4 in each area, according to the standardized 1 female with ages ranging from 21 to 84 years old (mean: 43.5 years,
Oxford grading scheme with a maximum score of 20.14 SD: 27.6 years). Scar etiologies included Mohs reconstructive surgery
The POSAS is a validated scar assessment metric that requires (n = 2), traumatic lacerations (n = 3), and facial burns (n = 1). Age of
the patient and physician observer to separately score 6 of the following scar at the time of first AFLR treatment ranged from 1 to 4 months
scar qualities: pain, itching, pliability, pigmentation, vascularity, thick- (mean: 3.31.2 months). All patients presented with some degree of ex-
ness, relief, and surface area. Each quality is scored with a maximum posure keratopathy and staining of the ocular surface, and 4 of 6 patients
score of 10 indicating the most severe morbidity. Total scores of both the presented with cicatricial lagophthalmos. The Table summarizes clinical
patient and physician observer are summed to calculate the composite information and treatment details.
Patient demographics and clinical characteristics
Scar age at
Fitzpatrick Scar etiology 1st treatment #AFLR
Gender Age skin type and eyelid pathology (months) treatments Treatment details
Case 1 M 30 IV Extensive facial and eyelid burns; 4 4 Received both adjunctive intralesional
cicatricial ectropion and brow 5-FU injections and AFLR with
elevation, lagophthalmos laser-assisted delivery of topical
5-FU
Case 2 M 84 II Mohs reconstruction surgery; cicatricial 4 3 All 3 AFLR treatments performed
ectropion with laser-assisted delivery of
topical 5-FU
Case 3 M 73 II Mohs reconstruction surgery with skin 4 3 All 3 AFLR treatments performed
grafting; cicatricial ectropion and with laser-assisted delivery of
lagophthalmos topical 5-FU
Case 4 F 23 III Traumatic facial and eyelid lacerations, 3 3 All 3 AFLR treatments performed
reconstructive surgery; cicatricial with laser-assisted delivery of topical
ectropion and lagophthalmos 5-FU
Case 5 M 21 VI Traumatic facial and eyelid 4 3 All 3 AFLR treatments performed
lacerations; cicatricial ectropion and with laser-assisted delivery of
lagophthalmos topical 5-FU
Case 6 M 30 V Traumatic facial and eyelid 1 3 All 3 AFLR treatments performed
lacerations; cicatricial ectropion and with laser-assisted delivery of
lagophthalmos topical 5-FU
5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; AFLR, ablative fractional laser resurfacing.
2 2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc.
Copyright 2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. XX, No. XX, 2017 Laser Resurfacing for Cicatricial Ectropion
FIG. 1. Ocular surface evaluation before and after treatment. Of note, for fluorescein staining, case 1 had significant staining at initial
evaluation with complete resolution at final evaluation, but precise scoring data were not available. OSDI, ocular surface disease index;
TBUT, tear breakup time.
Ocular Surface and Eyelid Function Outcomes. All patients showed such as Z-plasty and W-plasty have been shown to alter local
significant improvement in indicators of dry eye and exposure. Corneal cytokine profiles, induce wound remodeling, and ameliorate
fluorescein staining and tear breakup time showed mean improvement scarring.19,22,23
of 6.01.4 on a 20-point scale (p = 0.0007) and mean improvement of The creation of a plethora of microscopic treatment
1.70.4 seconds (p = 0.001), respectively. Five of 6 patients reported zones via AFLR serves to ablate and fenestrate thick fibrotic
subjective improvement in dry eye symptoms as measured by the ocu- scar tissue, thereby reducing wound tension, and altering sig-
lar surface disease index score, with mean improvement of 14.525.5 naling cascades and cytokine profiles.19,23 Modulation of inter-
on a 100-point scale (p = 0.22; Fig.1). leukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, heat shock proteins, and matrix
All patients demonstrated improvement in cicatricial ectro- metalloproteinases appears to accelerate clearance of abnormal
pion, with 3 patients showing complete resolution. Among the 4 pa- collagen and the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of
tients who presented with cicatricial lagophthalmos, all improved and keratinocytes that elaborate healthy type 1 collagen, resulting in
2 showed complete resolution without surgical intervention (Figs.2 the formation of organized scar tissue with physical properties
4). One patient (case 3) opted to undergo another skin grafting sur- more akin to those of normal skin.2426 The creation of micro-
gery for residual ectropion, while another patient (case 4) received scopic treatment zones themselves also helps to break up thick
AFLR treatment as part of a planned multimodality rehabilitative bands of disorganized collagen and encourage rehealing in a
surgical regimen that required subsequent orbital fracture repair revi- more organized fashion.27 These revelations have resulted in a
sion, orbital volume augmentation, and complex eyelid and canthal paradigm shift in the field of burn and scar management and are
reconstruction (Fig.3). beginning to influence practice patterns governing the treatment
of cicatricial processes on joints and various parts of the body.28
Aesthetic Outcomes. All patients demonstrated significant objec- Ablative fractional laser resurfacings transient disrup-
tive improvement in scar characteristics based on POSAS composite tion of the barrier function of the stratum corneum permits an
scores with a mean improvement of 37.518.9 on a 120-point scale (p = opportunity for efficient transdermal delivery of medications
0.004). All patients had marked improvement in scar elevation, textural, known to be effective in the treatment of hypertrophic scar-
and pigmentary abnormalities based on qualitative assessment of clini- ring, such as triamcinolone and 5-FU.11,29 This concept, known
cal photographs (Figs.24). No adverse effects of treatment were noted as laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD), promises to synergisti-
other than the expected initial treatment effects from AFLR. Five of six cally combine the benefits of AFLR with medications that have
patients thought that they had significant improvement in scar appear- traditionally been administered through intralesional injections.
ance based on the scar self-assessment scores, with mean improvement Manipulating laser parameters to alter treatment density and
of 19.312.8 on a 40-point scale (p = 0.014; Fig.5).
depth can help optimize LADD and allow the development of
customized treatment plans.
DISCUSSION This study evaluated changes in functional outcomes and
The role of AFLR in modulating the scarring and changes in scar cosmesis using validated scar questionnaires
wound healing process has yet to be fully elucidated, but there with both subjective and objective measures. Our findings sug-
is mounting evidence that wound tension plays a significant gest that AFLR with LADD of 5-FU is effective in addressing
role in the signaling cascades associated with these patho- the cosmetic and functional problems associated with cicatricial
logic changes.1821 Procedures that relieve tension on wounds ectropion and periocular scarring.
2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. 3
Copyright 2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
B. W. Lee et al. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. XX, No. XX, 2017
FIG. 2. AC, Case 1: This 29-year-old male suffered facial and eyelid burns resulting in cicatricial ectropion and lagophthalmos, cica-
tricial brow elevation, exposure keratopathy, and severe pigmentary and textural skin abnormalities (pretreatment). DF, He received
4 sessions of intralesional injection of 5-FU mixed with triamcinolone at 1- to 2-month intervals into the periocular scar tissue with
improvement in cicatricial ectropion and lagophthalmos but with persistent hypertrophic scarring and skin pigmentation and textural
abnormalities (postinjection). GI, Following 4 sessions of AFLR with laser-assisted delivery of 5-FU, there was complete resolution of
cicatricial ectropion and lagophthalmos and marked improvement in pigmentation, thickness, and texture of the periocular scarring
(post-AFLR with laser-assisted drug delivery). 5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; AFLR, ablative fractional laser resurfacing.
Significant cosmetic improvement was seen in all patients periocular burn scars involving the forehead, brow, periocu-
based on improvements in the POSAS composite score, which lar region, and midface. This case involved lasering a broad
evaluates improvements in pliability, pigmentation, vascular- area of scarring across the face, which likely resulted in the
ity, thickness, relief, and surface area. Moreover, 5 of 6 patients dramatic improvement with treatment. Cases 3 and 4 were
reported improved satisfaction with the appearance of their scar. 2 cases that experienced partial improvement with treatment
The improvements achieved in scar elevation, skin texture, and but received additional surgical interventions as part of a mul-
pigmentary abnormalities are especially notable, because these timodality reconstructive plan. Case 4 required orbital recon-
factors typically cannot be addressed with surgical interventions structive surgeries that included revision of an orbital floor
such as skin grafting or Z-plasty. fracture and orbital volume augmentation, as well as lower
In terms of functional improvement, all patients expe- eyelid reconstruction via a rotational myocutaneous advance-
rienced either complete or partial resolution of their ectropion ment flap, canthopexy, and hard palate graft. Given the sub-
and/or lagophthalmos at the conclusion of AFLR treatment, stantial anatomical deformity in this case, AFLR was not
regardless of scar etiology or age. Cases 2 and 6 achieved com- expected to fully remediate the eyelid pathology. However,
plete resolution of ectropion and lagophthalmos, and represent the treating surgeons believed that the AFLR with LADD was
the oldest (4 months) and youngest (1 month) scars at time an important treatment modality that improved the thickness
of treatment initiation, respectively. However, all cases were and pliability of the tissues prior to subsequent surgical inter-
treated relatively early in the wound healing process, which the ventions and helped contribute to a better final reconstructive
authors feel results in better clinical outcomes. outcome.
Perhaps the most dramatic improvement in form and In evaluating the magnitude of clinical effect of AFLR
cosmesis was seen in case 1, which had the most severe treatment for cicatricial ectropion, one should consider the total
lagophthalmos, ocular surface involvement, and disfiguring anterior lamellar deficit, contracture, and total area of cicatrix
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Copyright 2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. XX, No. XX, 2017 Laser Resurfacing for Cicatricial Ectropion
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B. W. Lee et al. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. XX, No. XX, 2017
FIG. 5. Patient self-assessment of scar appearance and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale scores before and after treatment.
and textural abnormalities. Optimal management of cicatricial 16. Draaijers LJ, Tempelman FR, Botman YA, et al. The patient and
ectropion and periocular scarring often requires multispecialty observer scar assessment scale: a reliable and feasible tool for
and multimodality treatment, and AFLR with topical 5-FU scar evaluation. Plast Reconstr Surg 2004;113:19605; discussion
may be considered as a treatment option in a comprehensive 19667.
17. Schiffman RM, Christianson MD, Jacobsen G, et al. Reliability
approach to periocular scar rehabilitation. and validity of the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Arch Ophthalmol
2000;118:61521.
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Copyright 2017 The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.