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 .
Successful Treatment of Earlobe Keloids with Imiquimod after Tangential Shave Excision
BACKGROUND The treatment of earlobe keloids has historically been suboptimal ; characterized by discomfort , poor response , and high rates of recurrence . Keloids are characterized by increased fibroblast activity in the setting of an altered cytokine profile . OBJECTIVE To investigate whether topical imiquimod 5 % cream applied postoperatively after tangential excision can prevent recurrence of earlobe keloids . METHODS AND MATERIAL S Four patients with a total of eight large pedunculated earlobe keloids ( five of which were recurrent lesions ) were treated with debulking by tangential shave excision followed by daily application of imiquimod 5 % cream for 6 weeks . RESULTS At 6 and 12 months post-treatment there was an excellent cosmetic result and no evidence of recurrence in any of the lesions . Patients with keloids that were itchy and painful  were completely asymptomatic at the conclusion of the study . CONCLUSION In this pilot study , imiquimod 5 % cream following tangential shave excision was efficacious for the treatment of earlobe keloids . Further study is warranted to confirm the utility of imiquimod 5 % cream in the treatment of earlobe keloids , as illustrated herein
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 .