ArticleDermatology practical & conceptual2024
Evaluation of Ultrasound Changes With the Use of Microneedling Versus Fractional CO2 Laser in Atrophic Acne Scars.
Article in Dermatology practical & conceptual, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Fractional laser therapy versus microneedling for non-acne scars and scar-like dermal fibrotic lesions.Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- The Value of High-Frequency Ultrasound and Color Doppler Flow Imaging in Assessing the Efficacy of Moderate-to-Severe Acne Vulgaris: A Prospective Single-Arm Study.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2026Article
- High-Frequency and Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound in Dermatologic Diseases and Aesthetic Medicine.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAtrophic acne scarring, a common sequela of acne, can be treated by different interventions, including microneedling and laser resurfacing.
objectivesWe sought to evaluate the comparative efficacy of microneedling versus fractional CO2 laser in treating atrophic acne facial scars using imaging with high and ultra-high frequency ultrasound.
methodsParticipants received 2 sessions, separated by 1 month, of microneedling on the left side of the face and fractional CO2 laser on the right. Color Doppler ultrasound evaluations (24 and 70 MHz) were conducted at baseline and 3 months after treatment. Each patient completed questionnaires on satisfaction, pain, and adverse effects.
resultsNine subjects were enrolled. The frequency order of scar types was boxcar, ice-pick, and rolling. At 3 months, using the acne scar clinical evaluation scale, a decrease in scar scores of both methods was observed for total scars (P = 0.0005), ice-pick scars (P = 0.0128), and rolling scars (P = 0.0007). Twenty-two scars analyzed by ultrasound demonstrated a trend to decrease in size; however, no significant changes were observed for either microneedling or CO2 laser treatments. Moreover, there were no significant differences between these methods. Both treatments were rated as good or very good by patient assessments. There was a low frequency of pain and hyperpigmentation reported with both modalities, albeit somewhat higher with microneedling.
conclusionsBoth microneedling and CO2 laser improved atrophic acne scars. Ultrasound did not show significant differences between these modalities.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.