Combined Fractional CO2 Laser With Intradermal Platelet-Rich Plasma versus Fractional CO2 Laser Alone in the Treatment of Striae Distensae

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD) or stretch marks are common cutaneous conditions that occur because of the stretching of the dermis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare the efficacy of fractional carbon dioxide (CO2) laser alone versus combined fractional CO2 laser with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in SD treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirty adult female patients with SD (SR and SA) were enrolled. In each patient, a split-lesion design was conducted as follows: pairs of SD on both sides of the midline were selected and allocated to groups A and B. Group A: was treated with combined fractional CO2 laser with intradermal PRP. Group B: was treated with fractional CO2 laser alone. Skin biopsies were taken from the lesions before and after treatment for histopathologic evaluation. RESULTS: In group A, a significant excellent improvement of the SD was achieved more than in group B (p = .007) and the mean of improvement was significantly higher (60.33 ± 26.49) than that in group B (43.80 ± 27.43) (p-value = .001). Group A was also associated with a more significant dermal deposition of collagen and elastic fibers. CONCLUSION: Combined fractional CO2 laser with PRP was more effective than fractional CO2 laser alone for the treatment of SD.