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Epidermal graft harvesting effective alternative treatment for vitiligo
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ORLANDO, Fla. — An epidermal graft harvesting system was an effective alternative to split-thickness skin grafting in treating patients with vitiligo, according to research presented at a late-breaking research forum of the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.
“[The] epidermal harvesting system (cellutome) combines negative pressure and heat to form epidermal micrografts,” presenter Sanober Daruwalla, MBBS, of Mumbai, India, and colleagues reported. “It has minimal donor site morbidity and is relative pain-free, allowing autologous skin grafting in an outpatient setting.
The researchers studied 10 patients with stable vitiligo.
A harvester head was applied on the thigh, and the formation of micrografts were visible within 30 to 40 minutes.
Tegaderm dressing was used to transfer the micrografts directly from the harvester to the recipient site after derma-abrasion.
Percentage of repigmentation and donor site healing time were the primary outcomes.
There were micrograft engraftments observed between 3 and 4 weeks in all patients, while the donor sites healed without scarring within 2 weeks and required no additional treatment.
Within 1 month, repigmentation began. Eight patients showed 50% to 75% repigmentation by 3 months, and two patients had 100% repigmentation by 4 months.
“Cellutome epidermal graft harvesting device is a novel alternative, providing pain-free epidermal skin grafts in [an] outpatient setting with projected minimal donor site trauma and improved patient satisfaction,” the researchers concluded. – by Bruce Thiel
Reference:
Daruwalla S. F073 – Late-breaking Research Forum Procedural Dermatology. Presented at: American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 3-7, Orlando.
Disclosure: Daruwalla reports no relevant conflicts of interest.