The histology and immunohistochemistry of free buccal mucosa and full-skin grafts after exposure to urine.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the histological and immunohistochemical behaviour of free buccal mucosa and full-skin grafts after exposure to urine.


METHODS
A buccal mucosal graft and a full-skin graft were freely transferred into the bladder of 12 minipigs, after stripping the bladder mucosa. Endoscopic investigations were carried out 2 and 5 months after surgery, and the grafts examined after death at 7 months, both histologically and immunohistochemically.


RESULTS
Shrinkage of the full-skin graft was apparent endoscopically in five cases. Of the nine full-skin grafts, four showed severe inflammatory reactions, two necrosis and two ulcerations. Conversely, the 10 buccal mucosal grafts had fewer pathological findings (three minimal inflammation and three with scars) and a pronounced similarity on immunohistochemistry.


CONCLUSIONS
The buccal mucosal graft showed significantly fewer adverse histopathological findings after long-term exposure to urine than the full-skin graft and is therefore a preferable material for urethral reconstruction.
Filipas
D
D
Department of Urology, Mainz University, School of Medicine, Germany.
Fisch
M
M
Fichtner
J
J
Fitzpatrick
J
J
Berg
K
K
Störkel
S
S
Hohenfellner
R
R
Thüroff
J W
JW
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D001743:Urinary Bladder; D014556:Urine