The main goal in burn management has always been increasing the survival of severely burned patients by rapid debridement and early closure of burn wounds, consequently reducing the risk of infection, sepsis and multi-organ failure. However, in the last decennia, surgical emphasis has shifted from survival to ‘quality of survival’, especially by improving the residual scars and preventing secon...

We achieved continuous, noncontact wide-field imaging and characterization of drug release from a polymeric device in vitro by uniquely using off-axis interferometric imaging. Unlike the current gold-standard methods in this field, which are usually based on chromatography and spectroscopy, our method requires no user intervention during the experiment and involves less lab consumable instrumen...

The purpose of this manuscript is to document results and complications of use of a regenerative dermal matrix skin substitute for coverage of extremity wounds. A retrospective review at 3 institutions identified 28 patients and 34 wounds who had undergone use of this material (Integra). Complications included failure in two patients (4 wounds). However, overall "take" of the regenerative matri...

Biological dressings including human amniotic membrane have been used to cover wounds or skin defects and enhance healing by providing a structural format to the underlying tissue. Human amniotic membrane was first used as wound dressing in 1910 by JS Davis [1]. The amniotic membrane obtained from human placenta possesses most of the characteristics of an ideal skin substitute even after proces...

The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/collagen composite scaffold for skin tissue engineering. PLGA and collagen were dissolved in HFIP as a common solvent and fibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning method. The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy, mercury porosimetry, tensil...

Purpose Myocutaneous flaps were commonly used to repair the mucosal defect that results from ablative tumor surgery. However, skin is not a perfect substitute for the oral mucosa because it can lead to poor hygiene due to hair growth and desquamation. The myodermal flaps used for the reconstruction of mucosa in oncologic surgery of the oral cavity. Material and method Pectoralis major and platy...

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, but life-threatening medical emergency with significant morbidity and mortality. Current treatment standards for TEN patients include stopping all possible drugs associated with the new onset of symptoms, prompt referral and treatment in a specialized center with fluid resuscitation, adequate analgesia and maintenance of nutritional needs. Extensive d...

Epiluminescence microscopy (ELM) is a non invasive technique used to enhance visualization of microscopic structures of pigmented lesions for the early detection of melanoma. The 7 point check list is a diagnostic method that requires the identification of only seven dermoscopic criteria, defining the image through the use of algorithms. This paper describes an experimental automated diagnosis ...

Shea butter is the fat extracted from the nut of Africa Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). It is used in cosmetic formulations and as a substitute for Cocoa butter in chocolate industries. It is edible and used cooking fat in Africa. The saponifiable fraction of Shea butter is composed primarily of stearic and oleic acids with lesser amounts of palmitic, linoleic and arachidic acids while the uns...

Involvement of the peripheral autonomic nervous system is a core feature of Lewy body (LB) diseases, including Parkinson disease (PD), PD with dementia, and dementia with LBs. To investigate the potential use of skin biopsy for the diagnosis of LB diseases, we assessed anti-phosphorylated alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity in peripheral nerves in samples of skin from the abdominal wall and flexor...