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1: Int J Dermatol. 2003 May;42(5):402-4.Click here to read Links

Ulcers caused by bullous morphea treated with tissue-engineered skin.

Martin LK, Kirsner RS.

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA.

Bullous morphea is an uncommon form of localized scleroderma. The exact pathogenesis is unknown and treatment of the accompanying ulcers is problematic. We report a patient with bullous morphea with long-standing ulcers whom we successfully treated with the tissue-engineered skin Apligraf (Organogenesis Inc., Canton, MA). The patient experienced rapid improvement in granulation tissue and the ulcers healed 4 months after a single application. The rationale for the use of Apligraf is based on experience with patients with venous ulcers who have surrounding peri-ulcer fibrosis. This condition, termed lipodermatosclerosis, has been reported as a poor prognostic factor for healing, yet many ulcers associated with lipodermatosclerosis may respond to treatment with tissue-engineered skin. Taken in concert, these results suggest a role for tissue- engineered skin in the treatment of chronic wounds with surrounding fibrosis.

PMID: 12755984 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]