The earlobe and helix are common sites for keloids following ear piercing. First-line therapy involves intra-keloidal excision followed by triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection. Yet, the optimal timing for TA injection after keloid excision remains debated. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes between immediate and delayed TA injection after auricular keloid excision.

This was a prospective, controlled trial with patients randomized into immediate or delayed groups. The Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) were used to evaluate scar quality. The number of recurrent keloid cases was recorded, defined as a VSS height of 3, POSAS thickness greater than 5, or an increase in VSS height or POSAS thickness after keloid excision. Overall complications were recorded. A value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The immediate group contained 18 patients, and the delayed group had 16 patients. The mean age of patients was 25.52 years, and the mean maximum keloid diameter was 14.49 mm (7-32.5 mm). The immediate group reported a statistically significant lower recurrence rate than did the delayed group at 5 months ( = 0.042). No significant differences were noted between VSS and POSAS scores at 3 months, and no complications were recorded during the study.

Immediate TA injection is an acceptable option for auricular keloid treatment. Here, it was associated with a lower recurrence rate than with delayed injection and resulted in no complications. The immediate and delayed groups had similar outcomes for VSS and POSAS.