title: Artificial skin as a valuable adjunct to surgical treatment of a large squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among tissue-engineered skins, two bilayered cellular constructs and one cryopreserved dermal substitute have been approved for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa. Nevertheless, the application of artificial skin technology to surgical treatment of squamous cell carcinomas in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa has never been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To reconstruct the large defect remaining after squamous cell carcinoma excision in a patient with dominantly inherited dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  To apply a 10 x 15 cm Integra sheet (Integral Life-sciences Corporation, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) (an acellular collagen matrix coated with a thin polysiloxane elastomer) to the excised area and 3 weeks later to cover the Integra sheet with an ultrathin meshed skin graft.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The graft take was complete, and the donor site totally regenerated, except for three small bullae at 7 weeks postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integra offers the advantage of filling huge defects with its dermal layer of collagen fibers and provides an optimal graft bed. This first step makes it possible to use very thin grafts 3 weeks later.
authors.affiliation: Federation of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Poitiers, Poitiers, France. verone4@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dagregorio
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guillet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D003094:Collagen; D015897:Comorbidity; D004820:Epidermolysis Bullosa / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017768:Skin, Artificial
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C114835:integra artificial skin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D003094:Collagen