Preoperative and postoperative topical tretinoin on high-tension excisional wounds and full-thickness skin grafts in a porcine model: A pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Tretinoin induces neovascularization and the formation of collagen when applied topically.


OBJECTIVE
The goal was to determine whether preoperative and postoperative treatment with tretinoin enhances the healing of high-tension, full-thickness excisional wounds and the survival of full-thickness skin grafts.


METHODS
A blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study involved high-tension excisional wounds and full-thickness skin grafts treated perioperatively with tretinoin in a porcine model.


RESULTS
Perioperative treatment of high-tension excisional surgery sites with tretinoin appeared to have no consistent beneficial or adverse effects on wound healing or scar spreading. In the full-thickness skin graft model, a trend toward impaired wound healing was noted.


CONCLUSIONS
The collagen-inducing effects of topical tretinoin do not appear to enhance the healing of high-tension excisional surgery wounds in a porcine model. Tretinoin does not appear to improve the survival of full-thickness skin grafts and, in fact, a detrimental effect was apparent in our model.
Otley
C C
CC
Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Gayner
S M
SM
Ahmed
I
I
Moore
E J
EJ
Roenigk
R K
RK
Sherris
D A
DA
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D014212:Tretinoin