Comparative study of efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser and microneedling fractional radiofrequency (MnRF) in the treatment of striae distensae

Introduction: Striae Distensae (SD) are common disfiguring skin conditions having significantpsychological impact on affected patients, especially in young healthy women. Management of striae poses a therapeutic challenge. Recently, fractional CO2 laser and microneedling radio frequency have shown to be efficacious in the treatment of SD. However, there is paucity of such studies in Indian population. Hence, we intend to conduct the present comparative study. Aim and Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser and Microneedling fractional radiofrequency (MnRF) in the treatment of SD. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients (18-40 years) having SD, attending the out-patient department at the Department Of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Adichunchanagiri Hospital and Research Centre, B.G. Nagara were alternately allocated into group-A (fractional CO2 group) and group-B (MnRF group). Patients in both the groups received four sequential treatments with an interval of 4 weeks between each session. Clinical assessment of the improvement of striae was done based on Global Improvement Scale (GIS) at the end of 1 month after the last session, by a side by side comparison of preoperative and post-operative photographs. In addition, patients were asked to provide their opinion on improvement of striae using the patient satisfaction Visual Analogue Score (VAS). Results: In our study, at the end of 1 month after the last treatment session, according to GIS, clinical improvement of SD was better in Group B when compared to Group A (p=0.000023), which was statistically significant. Patients in Group B were more satisfied with their treatment than the patients in Group A, according to the patient satisfaction VAS score, which was again found to be statistically significant (p=0.00086). Five patients (33.33%) in Group-A had post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Conclusion: In the present study, MnRF was found to be more efficacious