Suction device for epidermal grafting in vitiligo: employing a syringe and a manometer to provide an adequate negative pressure.
BACKGROUND
Suction devices for epidermal grafting need a suction pump to provide a negative pressure. The authors have developed a suction device in which a syringe and a manometer are employed to provide a negative pressure.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of our suction device in vitiligo patients.


METHODS
The suction device was used to obtain epidermal blisters from the donor site. A CO2 laser was employed to remove the depigmented epidermis. The blister roofs of the donor site were harvested and were placed onto the recipient area. Ten patients with stable vitiligo were treated by epidermal grafting.


RESULTS
Epidermal blisters were produced by suction in all patients. Also, all 10 patients regained repigmentation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our suction blister device is simple and inexpensive to make, and it may become an alternative to the other suction devices.
Kim
H U
HU
Department of Dermatology, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Institute for Medical Sciences,Chonju, Korea.
Yun
S K
SK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001768:Blister; D004817:Epidermis / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013396:Suction / Q000295:instrumentation; D013594:Syringes; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000601:surgery*