Clinical and radiological evaluation of the effectiveness of amniotic membrane in preventing scar formation after total surgical excision of intradermal nevi: A single-blind randomized controlled prospective study

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of amniotic membrane (AM) in preventing scar formation that may develop after total surgical excision of intradermal nevi and to compare the results obtained with the standard surgical dressing method. Additionally, the study aims to reveal the correlation between the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) used in scar assessment and Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) measurements. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 52 patients with histopathologically confirmed intradermal nevus diagnosis. Patients were randomized into two groups: the control group (n=27) received povidone-iodine dressing after standard surgery, while the intervention group (n=25) had the excision site covered with amniotic membrane. Scar assessments were performed at two separate times: on day 0 [suture removal time] and at 4 months. Clinical assessments were performed using VSS, and radiological assessments were performed using SWE; intergroup differences and changes over time were statistically analyzed. Results: A significant decrease in VSS and SWE values was observed in both groups between day 0 and month 4 (p<0.05). However, this improvement was more pronounced in the amniotic membrane group. In the standard dressing group, the mean VSS score was 5.96±1.16 on day 0 and decreased to 4.30±1.44 at month 4; in the amniotic membrane group, it decreased from 4.48±1.29 to 2.36±0.95. SWE measurements similarly showed a stronger decrease in the AMG group. A moderate to good correlation was obtained between VSS and SWE, demonstrating that devicebased objective measurements support clinical observations. Conclusion: Amniotic membrane application has been found to be more effective than standard surgical dressing in reducing scar formation after intradermal nevus excision. Consistent clinical and radiological findings indicate that amniotic membrane provides better cosmetic results. Therefore, amniotic membrane stands out as a reliable biological material for preventing scar formation, and its efficacy needs to be supported by studies involving larger samples and long-term follow-ups.