Michael H. Tirgan, MD

Michael H. Tirgan

Michael H. Tirgan, MD

Michael H. Tirgan, MD is a medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment and clinical research of keloid disorder. Since 2008, Dr. Tirgan has focused his medical practice on the non-surgical treatment of keloid disorder and since then, he has treated over 2000 keloid patients, adults, and children, with all types of keloids.

In 2011, Dr. Tirgan established Keloid Research Foundation, a non-profit medical research, and educational organization, with the mission of fostering scientific research in keloid disorder and promoting education, advocacy, and service to those who suffer from this disorder.

He is the main organizer of the Keloid Symposium and an advocate of international collaboration among all clinicians and scientists who have an interest in clinical or laboratory research of keloid disorder.  He has been an invited speaker to several international meetings and has presented his clinical research and outcome results as well as treatment strategy for managing keloid patients.

In 2016, Dr. Tirgan designed and published the very first Keloid Staging System that allows for a fair comparison of outcome results of randomized keloid trials.

In November 2016, Dr. Tirgan established the Journal of Keloid Research, the only journal that is solely focused on clinical and laboratory research of keloid disorder. He is an advocate of data-driven clinical management of patients with keloid disorder as opposed to commonly practiced physician expert-driven treatment pathways.  He is the principal investigator of three ongoing keloid studies.

Keloid Publications:

1- Post Otoplasty Keloids–Case Series and Report of Successful Treatment with Cryotherapy. International Journal of Keloid research.  2017 vol. 1 no. 1, July 1, 1-7

2- Ear Keloid Recurrence 13 Years after Adjuvant Radiation Therapy – Case Report, International Journal of Keloid research.  2017 vol. 1 no. 1, July 1, 17-20

3- Intra-lesional Steroid Injections: Can they be harmful to some patients? Results of an online survey. International Journal of Keloid research.  2017 vol. 1 no. 1, July 1, 21-28

4- Aberrant connective tissue differentiation towards cartilage and bone underlies human keloids in African Americans. Fuentes-Duculan J, Bonifacio KM, Suárez-Fariñas M, Kunjravia N, Garcet S, Cruz T, Wang CQ, Xu H, Gilleadeau P, Sullivan-Whalen M, Tirgan MH, Krueger JG.  Exp Dermatol. 2016 Dec 11

5-Massive ear keloids: Natural history, evaluation of risk factors and recommendation for preventive measures – A retrospective case series, F1000 Research, October 13, 2016

6- Neck keloids: evaluation of risk factors and recommendation for keloid staging system, F1000 Research, June 28, 2016

7- Clinical Implications of Single- Versus Multiple-Site Keloid Disorder: A Retrospective Study in an Asian Population. Park TH, Park JH, Tirgan MH, Halim AS, Chang CH. Ann Plast Surg. 2014 Mar 28 (PMID: 24681623)

8- Reply: Outcomes of surgical excision with pressure therapy using magnets and identification of risk factors for recurrent keloids. Park TH, Park JH, Tirgan MH, Chang CH. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2013 Oct;132(4):667e-668e. (PMID: 24076718)

9- Nine-month-old patient with bilateral earlobe keloids. Tirgan MH, Shutty CM, Park TH., Pediatrics. 2013 Jan; 131(1):e313-7. (PMID: 23248221)