Report of an unusually large, surgically excised squamous cell carcinoma successfully treated with porcine transitional epithelium.

INTRODUCTION Xenograft transplantation, first performed in the early 20th century, has been used successfully in traumatic wounds, burns, chronic ulcers, and surgical defects. Xenografts should be considered when facing not only limited donor skin or multiple patient comorbidities that may preclude successful full thickness skin grafting, but also unusually large surgical defects. Xenografts are commonly used for enhanced granulation in preparation for full-thickness skin graft placement especially over avascular areas such as cartilage or bone. Xenografts reduce the inherent tension of a wound, initiate proper epithelialization, reduce postoperative complications, and allow for acceptable outcomes. Traditionally, porcine xenografts are split-thickness skin grafts harvested with a dermatome under aseptic conditions. Newer xenografts, derived from other components besides dermal material, can be used as a biologic dressing to both facilitate and accelerate wound healing with decreased scar contraction. The MatriStem xenograft (ACell, Columbia, MD) is an extracellular matrix derived from porcine urinary bladder. Porcine transitional epithelium, currently the most widely used, provides optimum results in full-thickness wound remodeling because of its resemblance in histologic structure to human skin.We report an unusually large, surgically excised squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) managed successfully with the MatriStem xenograft.