Abstract
Thousands of people die every year from burn injuries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of high intensity femtosecond lasers as an auxiliary treatment of skin burns. We used an in vivo animal model and monitored the healing process using 4 different imaging modalities: histology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. 3 dorsal areas of 20 anesthetized Wistar rats were burned by water vapor exposure and subsequently treated either by classical surgical debridement, by laser ablation, or left without treatment. Skin burn tissues were non-invasively characterized by OCT images and biopsied for further histopathology analysis, SHG imaging and FTIR spectroscopy at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after burn. The laser protocol was found as efficient as the classical treatment for promoting the healing process. The study concludes to the validation of femtosecond ultra-short pulses laser treatment for skinburns, with the advantage of minimizing operatory trauma.
Highlights
In 2016, in the United States alone, 486,000 patients received medical treatment for skin burns and 3,275 died from their injuries [1]
Characterization of the samples by histology In Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained cells, the nucleus present a blue-purple colour due to the nucleic acids colored by Hematoxylin
Three monitoring modalities used in the study, histology, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), found that the healing processes with surgical debridement or laser ablation treatments are equivalent, and the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) results suggests that laser ablation may have earlier healing process than scalpel debridement of burned skin
Summary
In 2016, in the United States alone, 486,000 patients received medical treatment for skin burns and 3,275 died from their injuries [1]. Burn injuries are the third largest cause of accidental deaths in the USA. Despite the advances in the evaluation and treatment of skin burns, infection remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality. The current skin burn management includes three steps of evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation. Third degree burn is characterized by achieving the whole depth of the dermis, and may reach the muscle tissue. Skin exposure to heat for a long period causes disruption of collagen fibers affecting their organization in the dermis, destruction of dermal appendages, as well as epithelial necrosis [2]. The extracellular matrix forms a mechanical supporting scaffold made of collagen, elastin and glycoproteins that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation for tissue regeneration [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
