Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Micrografting in the treatment of severely burned patients.
The micrografting technique, employed to treat patients with extensive TBSA burns and reduced areas of healthy donor skin, was assessed simultaneously with traditional mesh grafts (STSG) or Tiersch grafts in the treatment five severely burned subjects (average TBSA burned 35.6 per cent; average per cent of full thickness wounds 32.6 per cent). At the first clinical control on day 6 post-surgery, 93 per cent of the micrografted area was in situ and health; epithelialization of the wound sites was complete at day 21. ⋯ Although the micrograft technique is labour-intensive, if the expansion needed is at least 1:6, the aesthetic and functional results obtained are comparable to, or better than, those with meshed grafts. Also, large segments of micrograft are not compromised if a small area of mesh becomes detached, and epithelialization is faster and more uniform, enabling a reduction in both infection and length of hospital stay.
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The development of aberrant pigmentation represents an unwelcome complication to an otherwise successful split skin graft resulting in a loss of colour match and, so it follows, of cosmesis. We present two cases where lasers have been successful in the treatment of this problem.
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Unbelievable decrease of blood-platelet in the severely burned patients during the treatment of skingrafting caused two patients to unexpected death. From the records of changes of platelet number, a certain 'platelet curve' was made. By observing the curve, our treatments of skingrafting were carried out during the stable period and from then on we had no death cases.
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We describe a method to prepare keratinocyte cultured sheets for grafting based on the use of an organic glue (n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate). It is a rapid and easy method in which the cultured layers of keratinocytes remain with a surface area similar to the original cultures.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Characterization of T-cell subsets infiltrating post-burn hypertrophic scar tissues.
In this study, skin-infiltrating cells were characterized in both the active and remission phases of post-burn hypertrophic scar biopsies. Immunohistochemistry examination of active phase samples showed an abundant presence of Langerhans cells, T cells, macrophages, a low presence of natural killer cells and the lack of B lymphocytes. In active hypertrophic scars T lymphocytes infiltrate deep into the superficial dermis and are also observed in the epidermis: CD3+ cells were present at about 222 +/- 107 per 0.25 mm2. ⋯ Central to the immune hypothesis of hypertrophic scars is that some of the T-cell lymphokines act on keratinocytes, fibroblasts and other cell types to induce changes characteristic of these scars. The presence and close proximity of activated T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells of various phenotypes in both the epidermis and dermis of hypertrophic tissues provides strong circumstantial evidence of a local immune response. However, the manner in which T cells achieve and maintain their activated state in hypertrophic tissues is not yet known, and both antigen-dependent and independent mechanisms may contribute.