title: CO2 laser debridement of sulphur mustard (bis-2-chloroethyl sulphide) induced cutaneous lesions accelerates production of a normal epidermis with elimination of cytological atypia.
abstract: Sulphur mustard (bis-2-chloroethyl sulphide; HD) exposure acutely produces lesions that vary from mild erythema, to blister formation, to necrosis. When blisters occur, with or without necrosis, healing of the lesions is delayed. Weanling pigs exposed to a mild erythema-producing dose of HD and to a moderate erythema-producing dose that consistently gave microblister formation were treated with CO2 laser (Tru-Pulse) debridement at 6, 24 or 48 h after exposure. The histopathological features observed at 14 days after exposure in control skin and skin exposed to both HD doses were compared with the features observed in CO2 laser-debrided skin in non-exposed and HD-exposed skin sites. The overlying epidermis in the non-laser treated lesions was thin, with cytological atypia and squamoid changes within the basal cell layer, as well as scattered apoptotic/necrotic keratinocytes. An increased inflammatory infiltrate and necrobiotic changes in the dermis were seen at the higher HD dose. All laser-treated lesions appeared identical, with a thick, differentiated epidermis and a well-formed basal cell layer. There was minimal inflammatory infiltrate. In the papillary dermis there were increased stromal cells. Laser debridement of mild clinical lesions induced by HD produced a more functional epidermis by 14 days as well as clearing the epidermis of damaged keratinocytes.
authors.affiliation: United States Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Hackley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000633:toxicity*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013552:Swine; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009151:Mustard Gas