Intralesional Therapy

What is intralesional steroid therapy?This is a procedure involving the injection of a steroid solution into abnormal skin, with the aim of improving its appearance or reducing symptoms. The steroid preparation most frequently used in this procedure is called triamcinolone acetonide, and you may hear the procedure referred to as “intralesional triamcinolone”.

What is a steroid?

Steroids are naturally-occurring chemicals, produced mainly by the adrenal glands in the abdomen. There are different types of steroids, and the type most commonly used to treat skin problems is known as a “corticosteroid”.Corticosteroids have a variety of properties, but it is their effects on suppressing inflammation and on reducing the amount of collagen in the skin that are particularly utilized in the treatment of skin conditions.

The injection of a steroid into the skin has two advantages over topical and oral steroid treatment; firstly, it will often be more effective in treating deep-seated conditions than a steroid cream or ointment, and secondly, it will have only a local effect rather than the general effects of a steroid taken by mouth.  

What conditions can be treated with intralesional steroid?

The most common uses of intralesional steroid therapy are in the treatment of excess scar tissue (hypertrophic or keloid scars), acne cysts and alopecia areata (a form of hair loss). 

What does the procedure involve?

Intralesional injection of a steroid is done as an out-patient procedure, with no special preparation involved. You should tell the doctor

if you have any allergies or problems with your general health. Although the area to be treated can be numbed with a local anaesthetic, this is not normally necessary; the discomfort associated with the steroid injection is very similar to that caused by an injection of local anaesthetic. Depending on the size of the area to be treated, a number of injections may be required. Your doctor will probably place a small dressing over the injected site, and this can be removed after a few hours. Depending on the condition being treated, you may be offered further treatment sessions, at least several weeks apart.