Evaluation of Subcision as a Treatment for Cutaneous Striae

Background: Treatment options for cutaneous striae are very limited. Objective: To determine if subcision is an effective treatment for cutaneous striae and compare a combination with 0.1% tretinoin cream against a single treatment. Methods: 14 patients were evaluated, each with 3 white striae. One stria received treatment with subcision, one with tretinoin cream in a 0.1% concentration, and one with subcision plus tretinoin. The length of follow-up was 3 months. Two blind investigators evaluated improvement by comparison of the initial and final digital photographs. Results: Only 7 patients completed 3 months follow-up. A decrease of width and clinical improvement was observed with the 3 treatments. However, some striae showed no change at all and there was no statistically significant difference between treatments. Three patients presented necrosis in striae treated with subcision. Conclusions: There are no studies in the medical literature about subcision for the treatment of cutaneous striae. This is a preliminary study and considering the undesirable effects of necrosis in a high percentage of striae treated with subcision, the subjective way of evaluation, and the small study group, we can not recommend subcision as a treatment for cutaneous striae. Large studies are necessary to corroborate or to discard our findings.