ABSTRACT
The tolerance and cryoprotective effect of propane-1,2-diol on human skin was evaluated using tetrazolium reductase enzyme activity to assess tissue viability. The tolerance of human skin was tested by exposing the skin to increasing concentrations of propane-1,2-diol (10, 20, and 40% v/v), at two permeation temperatures (4 degrees C or room temperature), in a stepwise manner, to reduce osmotically induced changes in cell volume. There was no evidence of specific toxicity attributable to the cryoprotectant during the permeation period, even at a concentration of 40%; however a significant decrease in human skin viability was observed after freezing and thawing with high concentrations of cryoprotectant. The only useful protocol was that employing a low cooling rate (-1 degree C min-1) with 10 or 20% (v/v) propane-1,2-diol at a low permeation temperature. The data suggest that propane-1,2-diol does not produced improved results when compared with other cryoprotectants used for skin cryopreservation.
Subject(s)
Cryopreservation , Skin , Humans , Propylene GlycolsABSTRACT
This paper reports two cases of orbital apex syndrome. The most salient clinical signs, ophthalmoplegia and eyelid ptosis, arose from perineural spread of facial squamous cell carcinomas that were previously excised with tumour-free surgical margins and exhibited no signs of local or other regional recurrence. The interest of these two cases lies in the fairly rare occurrence of this type of tumour spread and the highly aggressive nature of the tumour, unequivocal diagnosis of which usually arrives too late for a surgical solution. Awareness of the possibility of such perineural spread may allow the clinician to establish an early diagnosis and thus undertake radical surgery, thereby increasing the likelihood of success in combination with postoperative radiotherapy.
Subject(s)
Blepharoptosis/etiology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/secondary , Cranial Nerve Neoplasms/secondary , Ophthalmoplegia/etiology , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/complications , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Cranial Nerve Neoplasms/complications , Cranial Nerve Neoplasms/diagnosis , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedSubject(s)
Burns/surgery , Skin Transplantation , Tissue Donors , Cryopreservation , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
To evaluate whether amphotericin B has a detrimental effect on the viability of cryopreserved skin, human skin samples were incubated during 7 and 24 h in three different media: 0.9% phosphate-buffered saline and Medium 199 with and without 10 micrograms/ml amphotericin B. The viability of the tissue was assessed by measuring the tetrazolium reductase activity before and after cryopreservation. A significant decrease in cryopreserved human skin viability was observed after 7 and 24 h incubation with amphotericin B. These results indicate that in the processing of skin preservation, the beneficial effect of using amphotericin B as an antifungal agent may be reduced by its negative effect on tissue viability.
Subject(s)
Amphotericin B/adverse effects , Cryopreservation/methods , Skin , Cell Survival/drug effects , Culture Media , Female , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Middle Aged , NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase/metabolism , Skin/cytology , Skin/drug effects , Skin/enzymologyABSTRACT
We investigated CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subpopulations, as well as the CD4/CD8 ratio in 84 moderately burned patients with injuries affecting 11-36 per cent of their total body surface area (TBSA). These lymphocyte subpopulations were quantified by indirect immunofluorescence measurement 7 and 60 days postburn. The results obtained 7 days postburn were highly significant in those patients who developed septicaemia, all of whom had considerably decreased CD4+ and increased CD8+ T-cell numbers, as well as inverted CD4/CD8 ratios. Consequently, the CD4/CD8 ratio may provide valuable information for prognosis of patient evolution and the establishment of early treatment in order to avoid likely future complications.
Subject(s)
Burns/complications , CD4-CD8 Ratio , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Burns/immunology , Burns/pathology , CD3 Complex/analysis , Female , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Sepsis/complications , Sepsis/immunologyABSTRACT
A 6-year analysis of 2000 cases of burns was carried out. Half of the patients were from rural and the other half from urban locations. One hundred and sixty-two patients out of the 2000 suffered from ember burns. The number of rural patients affected was greater than urban patients (117 vs. 45). Ember burns are frequent in Andalusia and have severe aesthetic and functional sequelae. Burns of this type are more common in children than in adults, so they carry an added social and medical relevance.
Subject(s)
Burns/epidemiology , Heating/adverse effects , Adolescent , Adult , Burns/etiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , Spain/epidemiologyABSTRACT
One hundred and thirty-six patients attending for local anaesthetic procedures in the trigeminal area were assigned to four groups. Each group was injected with the anaesthetic solution at temperatures 10 degrees C, 18 degrees C, 37 degrees C and 42 degrees C, respectively. Measurement of pain during injection was made on a numeric scale. The results show a strong relationship between the temperature of the anaesthetic solution and the pain of the injection (p << 0.001). This demonstrates that warming the anaesthetic solution significantly reduces the pain felt by the patient during injection, especially at 42 degrees C.
