The clinical experience for treating post-burn depigmentation with tiny epidermal particles graft

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Post-burn depigmentation results from a lack of normal melanocytes.
• Current treatments like auto-skin grafting and autologous non-cultured epidermal cell suspension have limitations, including donor site morbidity and complexity.
• There is a need for effective and less invasive treatments for extensive depigmentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of tiny epidermal particles graft (TEPG) in treating post-burn depigmentation.
• To compare TEPG with suction blister epidermal skin graft (SBEG) in terms of repigmentation outcomes.
• To assess the safety and long-term results of TEPG for burn scar treatment.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 30 patients with post-burn depigmentation, divided into TEPG (Group I) and SBEG (Group II) groups.
• Repigmentation (RP) size was evaluated using Imagine-Pro Plus software 12 months post-surgery.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software to compare outcomes between the two groups.

Main Results:

• TEPG showed statistically significant differences in pigmentation compared to SBEG (P = 0.002).
• Optimum repigmentation (RP > 75%) was observed in 12 patients (80%) in the TEPG group and 9 patients (60%) in the SBEG group.
• Excellent repigmentation (RP > 90%) was achieved in 14 patients (93.3%) with TEPG and 10 patients (66.7%) with SBEG. No infections occurred.

Conclusions:

• Both TEPG and SBEG can achieve excellent repigmentation for post-burn depigmentation.
• TEPG is less traumatic and offers guaranteed results compared to SBEG.
• TEPG is a preferred treatment option, particularly for patients with large depigmented areas due to burns.