[Macroscopic and microscopic study of human corpse skin grafting on athymic mice nu/nu]

32 thin grafts (500 to 700 mu) of different human corpse skin set apart during the first 24 hrs after the death have retaken on athymic Mousse whatever the reason of death and the age of the donor. 20 thick grafts have retaken at 30%. These skins preserve the aspects and behaviour of normal human skin but after 1 month they have a heavy melanic hyperpigmentation. These skins preserve their normal histological aspect during the first 3 days, then, when revascularisation is setting in, superficial areas of epidermic mortification, opposite dermal hypovascularised zones, appear. Between the 15th and the 21st day the epidermic alterations disappear and a heavy melanic hyperpigmentation is set up. The revascularisation is certainly the result of the human dermal vessels repermeabilisation. Till the 76th day neither dystrophy, dysplasia nor important inflammatory process exist.