Contractubex showed best results in the prevention of pathological scars .
BACKGROUND The treatment and prevention of  hypertrophic scars and keloids  represents a special challenge particularly in plastic surgery .
Given their simple , non-invasive and painless application , topical preparations are an attractive therapeutic option .
On the part of the patients , the efficacy in prevention of and therapy for hypertrophic scars and keloids of these topical preparations is regularly question ed .
The clarification of this issue is subject of this review .
Double‐Blind, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled, Prospective Study Evaluating the Tolerability and Effectiveness of Imiquimod Applied to Postsurgical Excisions on Scar Cosmesis
Background It has been reported that topical application of imiquimod 5 % cream induces interferon-α , an antifibrotic cytokine . Objective To determine the tolerability and effectiveness on the cosmetic outcome of the application of imiquimod to postsurgical excision sites . Material s and Methods A prospect i ve , double-blinded , r and omized , vehicle-controlled trial was conducted among 20 patients with two skin lesions clinical ly diagnosed as melanocytic nevi .  Imiquimod 5 % cream was applied to one of the sutured surgical wounds starting the night of the excision nightly for a period of 4 weeks . The second sutured excision site was treated with vehicle cream . Scar cosmesis , erythema , pigmentary alterations , in duration , tenderness , and pain were assessed using a visual analogue scale 2 , 4 , and 8 weeks after surgery . Results Eighteen subjects completed the study , with a total of 36 excision sites ; no wound site dehisced , and no signs of infection were noted . Surgical wounds treated with imiquimod had more erythema , pigmentary alterations , and lower cosmesis rated by the investigator compared with wounds treated with placebo , both becoming nonsignificant in further evaluations . For pigmentary alterations , in duration , and cosmesis rated by the patients , no statistically significant difference between treatment groups was observed at week 8 . Conclusion Treatment of surgical excision-site wounds with imiquimod was well tolerated and without serious adverse events . Evaluations for cosmesis of placebo-treated surgical sites were better than imiquimod-treated sites at week 8 , becoming nonsignificant later
Contractubex showed best results in the prevention of pathological scars .
BACKGROUND The treatment and prevention of  hypertrophic scars and keloids  represents a special challenge particularly in plastic surgery .
Given their simple , non-invasive and painless application , topical preparations are an attractive therapeutic option .
On the part of the patients , the efficacy in prevention of and therapy for hypertrophic scars and keloids of these topical preparations is regularly question ed .
The clarification of this issue is subject of this review .