title: Effective treatment of permanent tattoos with combustible particles due to blast injuries with a V-shaped device.
abstract: Permanent tattooing due to blast injuries is a rare condition. Treatment with various different methods often yields unsatisfactory results. An innovative way to remove permanent traumatic tattoos is presented. A normal curettage blade is simply compressed with a pincer in order to create the new device. This V-shaped blade was used for surgical excision of the particles. No suture material or special dressing was used. Four patients with multiple explosive tattoos on the face were treated with the V-shaped knife. Due to the ease and speed of this method up to 300 particles were removed in one session. Histological analysis of the tissue samples showed deep dermal and subcutaneous particle location. At follow-up transient hypopigmentation but only minimal scarring was seen. Patients suffered less from itching, a chief complaint preoperatively, and aesthetic appearance of the facial skin was improved. In conclusion, treatment of traumatic tattoos with the V-shaped knife is effective, results in minimal scaring and restores the natural colour of the skin because the particle is completely removed. It is a promising method for treating multiple deep skin inclusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. daniel.kalbermatten@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kalbermatten
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wettstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: du Croo de Jongh
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pierer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D003475:Curettage / Q000295:instrumentation*; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004867:Equipment Design; D005107:Explosions; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery*