ISSN:
1524-475X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Aim: This study was aimed to confirm the usefulness of allogeneic cultured dermal substitute (CDS) in the treatment of skin defects after excision of skin cancer. Methods: Eleven elderly patients (mean age of 76.3 year old) with skin cancer were included in this study. Most of the patients had basic disease such as diabetes or ASO. Allogeneic CDS used in the study were produced at Kitasato University. The CDS were applied to skin defects with exposing bone or tendon after oncological surgery, and changed once or twice a week until the open wound became suitable for autologous skin grafting or healed completely. Results: Healthy granulation tissue was formed to cover the exposed bone or tendon in all cases. Only in one case, the treatment with allogeneic CDS was abandoned owing to undesirable infection. In eight cases, appropriate wound beds acceptable for autologous skin graft were prepared. In other two cases, the skin defect became smaller and eventually closed without skin graft. In ten cases with or without skin graft, undesirable scar contracture was not observed over prolonged follow-up. Conclusions: Elderly patients with skin cancer provide reconstructive surgeons with challenging problems when bone or bare tendon is exposed after oncological surgery. Flap transfer might be complicated especially when the patients suffered from a basic disease such as diabetes or ASO. This study has confirmed that the use of allogeneic CDS is a safe and reliable method to achieve wound healing in those high-risk patients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1067-1927.2004.abstractaw.x
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