A novel treatment for venous leg ulcers.
Venous ulceration, a relatively common manifestation of venous hypertension, is often difficult to treat. This article reports the authors' experience with a new wound-healing technology using a bilayered, culture-derived human skin equivalent (HSE, Apligraf) for treatment of venous ulcers. In the patients studied, HSE appeared to promote wound healing in three ways: 1) apparent graft "take"; 2) temporary wound closure (persistence of HSE with subsequent wound re-epithelialization from wound margins); and 3) stimulation of host healing without temporary persistence by acting as a biologic dressing. The demonstrated efficacy of HSE suggests that it will prove useful for promoting the healing of venous ulcers.
University Wound Healing Clinic, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
O M
OM
Alvarez
C B
CB
Fahey
M J
MJ
Auletta
A
A
Fernández-Obregón
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001458:Bandages; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D014945:Wound Healing
C117898:Apligraf; D003094:Collagen