Temporary Skin Research Articles

Multifunctional mats by antimicrobial nanoparticles decoration for bioinspired smart wound dressing solutions

Developing advanced materials for wound dressings is a very challenging, yet unaddressed task. These systems are supposed to act as temporary skin substitutes, performing multiple functions, including fluid absorption and antimicrobial action, supporting cell proliferation and migration in order to promote the skin regeneration process. Following a global bioinspired approach, in this study, we developed a multifunctional textile for wound dressing applications. Biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate/poly-3-caprolactone (PHB/PCL) mats were fabricated by electrospinning to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), thus providing structural and biochemical support to tissue regeneration. Furthermore, inspired by nature's strategy which exploits melanin as an effective weapon against pathogens infection, PHB/PCL mats were modified with hybrid Melanin-TiO2 nanostructures. These were combined to PHB/PCL mats following two different strategies: in-situ incorporation during electrospinning process, alternately ex-post coating by electrospraying onto obtained mats. All samples revealed huge water uptake and poor cytotoxicity towards HaCat eukaryotic cells. Melanin-TiO2 coating conferred PHB/PCL mats significant antimicrobial activity towards both Gram(+) and Gram(−) strains, marked hydrophilic properties as well as bioactivity which is expected to promote materials-cells interaction. This study is going to provide a novel paradigm for the design of active wound dressings for regenerative medicine.

Made in Germany: A Quality Indicator Not Only in the Automobile Industry But Also When It Comes to Skin Replacement: How an Automobile Textile Research Institute Developed a New Skin Substitute.

Successful research and development cooperation between a textile research institute, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research via the Center for Biomaterials and Organ Substitutes, the University of Tübingen, and the Burn Center of Marienhospital, Stuttgart, Germany, led to the development of a fully synthetic resorbable temporary epidermal skin substitute for the treatment of burns, burn-like syndromes, donor areas, and chronic wounds. This article describes the demands of the product and the steps that were taken to meet these requirements. The material choice was based on the degradation and full resorption of polylactides to lactic acid and its salts. The structure and morphology of the physical, biological, and degradation properties were selected to increase the angiogenetic abilities, fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix generation. Water vapor permeability and plasticity were adapted for clinical use. The available scientific literature was screened for the use of this product. A clinical application demonstrated pain relief paired with a reduced workload, fast wound healing with a low infection rate, and good cosmetic results. A better understanding of the product’s degradation process explained the reduction in systemic oxidative stress shown in clinical investigations compared to other dressings, positively affecting wound healing time and reducing the total area requiring skin grafts. Today, the product is in clinical use in 37 countries. This article describes its development, the indications for product growth over time, and the scientific foundation of treatments.

Conventional diverting techniques and novel fibr-assisted self-diverting system in carbonate reservoir acidizing with successful case studies

Conventional diverting techniques may not be useful, and the use of the advanced and well-documented diverting technique is needed to overcome the complexity and heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs. Nowadays, there have been a lot of materials and techniques utilized for acid diversion. This paper aimed to consider various utilization of fiber-assisted self as the diverting system in acidifying carbonate reservoirs. One of the main reasons for its ability to overcome uncertainty is that the fiber itself is an inherent property, allowing for an automatic diversion adjustment downhole. When a media with infinite permeability, such as a perforation tunnel or natural fracture, is filled and bridged with a material of finite permeability such as degradable fiber, this creates a temporary skin to injectivity in that zone. This is a powerful concept, as it is a way, despite uncertainty from a lack of logging data or uncertainty in the data itself, of dampening the reservoir’s natural permeability contrast. It does not rely on petrophysical certainty to design a successful treatment.

Skin Conditions and Sports Participation (Care of the Young Athlete)

Patient Education| 2021 Skin Conditions and Sports Participation (Care of the Young Athlete) Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Skin Conditions and Sports Participation (Care of the Young Athlete). Pediatric Patient Education 2021; 10.1542/peo_document242 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All AAP SitesAll PublicationsPediatric Patient Education Search Advanced Search Subjects: Care of the Young Athlete Most skin conditions do not affect sports participation. As a general rule, young people with skin conditions should be allowed to participate in sports as long as there is no risk of blood or body fluid coming into contact with other athletes. Skin conditions that may affect participation can be divided into temporary and long-term conditions. Temporary skin conditions that may affect sports activities include Skin injuries. Injuries like cuts and scrapes must be covered to prevent blood or body fluid from coming into contact with another player.Friction blisters. These can be prevented by drying the feet, lubricating with petrolatum, and ensuring proper shoe fit. Blisters already formed can be left alone and covered with a bandage or carefully drained. The top of the blister generally should not be removed.Jogger’s nipple. Friction of fabric against the nipples can cause chafing... Copyright © 20102010American Academy of Pediatrics You do not currently have access to this content.

Combined laser assisted treatment for permanent hair removal for skin types I-V with Alexandrite 755 nm and ND:YAG 1064 nm lasers.

This retrospective cohort study regarding hair removal procedures considers all the data collected in three different clinical centers from 2017 to 2019. The device used to perform the treatments was composed of an Alexandrite 755 nm and an Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser, that delivered both wavelengths in a blended simultaneous emission (Thunder MT, Quanta System, Samarate, Italy). The improvement evaluated after five sessions of treatment by an external referee was: 83.0% for armpits, 82.1% for the bikini line, 82.2% for legs, 79.6% for thorax, and 81.6% for the back. The collected temporary skin reaction data reported in this study were all acceptable and transitory resolving in less than 1 week. The level of erythema and perifollicular edema were all signs of the reached treatment endpoint. First degree burns, hyper, and hypopigmentation were also reported in a few cases but these, all resolved before the follow-up visit without any permanent skin effects. No adverse effects were thus reported to have happened. This retrospective study demonstrates the efficacy of combining Alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers in a mixed modality with simultaneous emission. This technology permitted to treat patients with skin types I-V without any reported permanent side effects and with a high pain tolerability compared to the use of Nd:YAG in single mode.

OCULAR ROSACEA AND ZOONOTIC DEMODICOSIS

Among the temporary skin ecto-parasites, Demodex folliculorum is a worm-like mite that infests hairfollicles in various mammals including man. Rosacea is a common skin disorder that may occur inadults of all ethnic backgrounds, but is most commonly diagnosed in individuals with fair skin. Ocularrosacea may present independently or in association with cutaneous subtypes of rosacea. This studyclarified the correlation between ocular rosacea and demodicosis folliculorum in family patients; twofemales of them were superimposed with secondary bacterial infection. The patients acquired in zoonoticinfestation from their pet dog. The pet dog was sent to the Governmental Veterinary Hospital atAbbassia and was treated with Ivermectin®.Specific ocular infections often required etiological diagnosis of combined consultant ophthalmologyand microbiology

Evaluation of the potential interference of camouflage on the treatment of vitiligo: An observer-blinded self-controlled study.

Camouflage improves the quality of life in vitiligo patients. However, whether the use of camouflage interferes the efficacy of the treatment of vitiligo remains controversial. To evaluate the impact and safety of dihydroxyacetone (DHA)-containing camouflage on the treatment of vitiligo. Thirty patients were enrolled. Comparable vitiliginous patches in each patient were randomly divided into camouflage group or blank group. The therapeutic modalities including topical corticosteroids with or without NB-UVB phototherapy were applied to both groups of lesions. The outcomes were assessed at baseline and then every 4 weeks for up to 12 weeks, including types of repigmentation patterns, percentage of repigmentation, trans epidermal water loss (TEWL), and adverse events. Twenty-eight patients completed the study. There were no differences in repigmentation types and percentage of repigmentation at the endpoint of study between two groups. No difference in TEWL was found at the end of the study between the two groups. Temporary skin irritation (itching and tingling) occurred in one patient in camouflage group after phototherapy between 8 and 12 weeks' treatment. DHA-containing camouflage is a safe make-up for vitiligo. It has little impact on the efficacy of the treatment of vitiligo or on the function of skin barrier.

Diagnostic and treatment challenges of a case of primary cutaneous signet-ring cell/histiocytoid carcinoma of the eyelid

BackgroundPrimary cutaneous signet-ring cell/histiocytoid carcinoma of the eyelid is an extremely rare but aggressive neoplasm diagnosed primarily in elderly men. Until now there are 32 published cases of signet-ring cell carcinoma or histiocytoid carcinoma of the eyelid. We report the clinical, radiographic and histological features of the 33rd reported case of PCSRCC in the eyelid of a 73-year-old male, and review diagnostic and treatment challenges of this rare entity.Case presentationOur case highlights a 73-year-old male who was referred for surgical correction of right eye ptosis that was present for 2 years. Upon assessment, he was noted to have an upper lateral orbital rim mass. Computed tomography (CT) noted ill-defined soft tissue thickening anterior to the right globe, predominantly pre-septal but with slight post-septal extension. The pathology revealed diffusely and deeply infiltrating tumour cells extending through the dermis, subcutis, orbicularis muscle bundles and nerve fibers; the tumour cells were noted to have a monotonous histiocytoid appearance with foamy granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. At high magnification, intracytoplasmic vacuoles and occasional intermixed signet ring cells were identified. Immunohistochemical staining revealed the tumour cells to be AE1/AE3, CK7, GCDFP-15, E-cadherin, androgen receptor stain and GATA3 positive. Final pathology report confirmed the diagnosis of primary cutaneous signet-ring cell/histiocytoid carcinoma. Further imaging failed to identify a distant primary malignancy or metastatic disease. The decision was made to attempt surgical excision of the tumor. After the bulk of the grossly apparent tumor was removed, intraoperative frozen sections were sent. Superficial biopsies of the right periorbital region were performed, which revealed extension significantly further than the gross disease. Thereafter, the patient underwent a wide orbital exenteration with reconstruction using a temporary split-thickness skin graft. Due to positive margins on final permanent sections, the patient underwent further wide resection with free muscle-skin flap reconstruction followed by adjuvant radiation treatment.ConclusionOur case represents the 33rd case of primary signet-ring cell/histiocytoid carcinoma of the eyelid in a 73-year-old male, the first documented case with GATA3 positivity and the second documented case with androgen receptor stain positivity.

Benefits of Avène thermal hydrotherapy in chronic skin diseases and dermatological conditions: an overview.

The beneficial effects of Avène Thermal Spring Water (TSW), a low mineral content spring water, on chronic skin diseases have been recognized for more than two centuries. This article provides a brief overview of efficacy and tolerance data for Avène TSW from clinical studies conducted at the Avène Hydrotherapy Center in patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases or temporary skin injuries. Avène TSW hydrotherapy is effective as adjuvant management for chronic skin diseases and dermatological conditions, relieving subjective and physical symptoms with excellent tolerance.

The Use of Close Relative Allo-Graft Intermingled with Auto-Graft for the Management of Extensive Burn Injury

Major burn injury management represents a difficult issueespecially in developing countries. Skin auto-grafts is the bestnatural skin substitute for replacing burned skin but its rarityin major burns patients stand as an obstacle to be used. Earlydeep burn wounds excision and coverage of wounds morethan 30% of body surface area is the main strategy for woundmanagement in massive burns yet with the absence of skinbanks (skin allo-grafts) and expensive artificial skin substitute'scoverage of raw wounds by these methods is not applicablein Egypt. In this study, we try to evaluate the benefits to useboth minimal sheets of auto-grafts covered by enough sheetsof allo-grafts to cover all raw area after excision. Using freshskin allo-grafts obtained from 1st degree relative of patientsas natural skin substitute. The auto-grafts are meshed 1 to 6and fixed directly on raw areas while allo-grafts are meshed1 to 2 and cover both auto-grafts and raw areas, noting thatallo-grafts considered as temporary skin. Follow-up the clinicalchanging of these grafts and histopathologically analysis. Outof the 30 patients 8 had died, 10 patients needed other operationswhile 12 had healed with no more procedures.

Atopic dermatitis and its relation to food allergy.

To present the most recent evidence on atopic dermatitis and its relation to food allergy. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the skin characterized by impaired skin barrier because of multifactorial causes including genetic factors, immune dysregulation, and skin microbiome dysbiosis. Infants with temporary skin barrier disruption and/or persistent atopic dermatitis are particularly at risk of developing food allergy (during the so-called atopic march), with up to half of patients demonstrating positive food-specific IgE and one-third of severe cases of atopic dermatitis having positive symptoms on oral food challenge. A high proportion of children with atopic dermatitis exhibit asymptomatic sensitization to foods, and skin testing to identify potential food triggers is not recommended unless the patient has a history suggestive of food allergy and/or moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis unresponsive to optimal topical care. Indeed, indiscriminate testing can lead to a high proportion of false-positive tests and harmful dietary evictions. Promising strategies to prevent food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis include early skincare with emollients and treatment with topical steroid, and early introduction of highly allergenic foods. Further studies are required to identify risk factors for atopic dermatitis to help prevent the development of food allergy in this high-risk population.

Digitally fabricated aesthetic enhancements and enrichments

In this paper, we explore digitally fabricated aesthetic enhancements and modifications of the body as well as digitally fabricated fauna habitats. We will address how we utilize speculative works through our bio inspired digitally fabricated designs via two of our most recent projects: {skin} D.E.E.P. and in silico et in situ. Through these two projects we explore cultural implications of the intersection of technology and biologically inspired art/design. Technology has provided an ever increasing amount of data which has facilitated the way data can be used in aesthetic explorations. Technology can redefine the human experience by enhancing our senses, experiences, and forms of expression. In our work {skin} D.E.E.P., we explore these ideas via augmentation through wearables and biomimetic expressions on the skin through digitally fabricated prosthetics. {skin} D.E.E.P. employs temporary biomimetic skin patterns via wearable 3D printed exoskeletons. The first series of this work mimics the patterns and textures of animal skin via ephemeral impressions onto human skin. Taking inspiration from shedding snakeskin, we shed the outer layer by removing the 3D printed prosthesis. The epidermis retains the negative imprint of the prosthetic mimicking the look of serpent skin. The dermis reestablishes the smooth form of the human skin as it heals itself within the hour, erasing the ephemeral imprint, symbolically representing rebirth and renewal. Investigating the ephemeral aesthetic of textured patterns on human skin will not by any means provide a solution to an engineering problem, yet acts as a larger philosophical basis to conduct a discussion about the possibilities of blending bio inspired designs. The manifestation of data into physical form occurs via digital fabrication in our most recent series in silico et in situ: fauna habitats in the age of voxels, where we aim to create a new ecosystem for animals and to potentially augment their habitat. The habitats include pollinator waterers, spider habitats (in form of glow up rings) and turtle basking platforms. This project pushes forward with a new piece—the development of a 20-foot avian sculpture that will solely exist to support the habitat of the Chimney Swift species. The Chimney Swift is a near-threatened bird species in the US. in silico et in situ investigates the interplay of art, nature and technology by contextualizing sculptural works and placing these sculptures into nature. The project serves as a breeding ground for a larger dialogue about nature, culture, human intervention, design art and technology. Providing the artwork in the public sphere, barrier free in nature, fosters this discourse.

A Novel Endoscopic Forehead Lift Technique for Patients with Upper Facial Wrinkles: Morphometric Evaluation and Patient-Reported Outcome using FACE-Q Scales.

Chinese patients more frequently complain of forehead wrinkles than eyebrow and upper eyelid ptosis. Besides the commonly used brow-lifting technique, a novel technique to satisfy the demands of Chinese patients is needed. In this article, we introduce our novel endoscopic forehead lift procedure and analyze the morphometric evaluation and patient-reported outcomes. From January 2010 to January 2017, 171 Chinese patients underwent endoscopic forehead lift in which two parallel incisions were made on the frontalis muscle to relieve forehead wrinkles. Biopsy forceps were used to bite off the glabella muscles to relieve wrinkles between the eyebrows. Lifting devices were not used. Morphometric evaluations of eyebrow locations were performed, and the vertical distance of the upper eyebrows was measured post- and preoperatively to evaluate the elevation range. FACE-Q scales were sent to patients who were still being followed-up. A total of 46 patients underwent the morphometric evaluation, which suggested that the eyebrows were elevated effectively. At 12 to 36 months postoperatively, the median post-/preoperative ratio was 118.4, 112.5, and 111.8% in the medial, middle, and lateral eyebrows, respectively. In the same patients, at 37 to 84 months postoperatively, the median post-/preoperative ratio was 116.6, 112.2, and 108.9% in the medial, middle, and lateral eyebrows, respectively. Sixty-five patients completed the FACE-Q scales, demonstrating high satisfaction levels with the forehead and eyebrow, outcome, and decisions, with a median score of 100 for each. Postoperative appraisal revealed that the lines in the forehead and between the eyebrows had a good outcome with scores of 86 and 93, respectively. The median number of years younger that patients thought they appeared was 7. The most frequent self-claimed recovery symptom was temporary forehead skin numbness (83.1%) followed by a receding hairline (46.2%). Our endoscopic forehead lift procedure was effective in relieving forehead and glabella wrinkles and lifting the eyebrows. This was a level of evidence III study.

Study of the superficial distribution of microorganisms in kefir biofilms prepared with Cupuaçu juice

Recently, much research in the field of biomaterials has focused on finding better material to serve as a dressing or temporary skin replacement, often without success. Kefir and Cupuacu ( Theobroma grandiflorum Schum) have therapeutic potential for use in this field. In this study, a morphological and statistical analysis of the superficial distribution of bacteria and yeasts in kefir biofilms prepared with Cupuacu juice, obtained from the inoculation of kefir grains in brown sugar solution was performed. Six samples of different concentrations of the biofilms were obtained, which were analyzed in an Atomic Force Microscope to obtain topography images. Statistical analyses were performed on the surface parameters in order to determine the number and surface coverage of microorganisms in biofilms. The morphological analysis showed that the surfaces of the biofilms are composed of microorganisms similar to bacteria and yeasts. Statistical analysis showed that biofilms with a concentration of Cupuacu between 10 and 40 g.L -1 present a greater number and coverage of bacteria. All results show that the Cupuacu 10 g.L -1 biofilm presented the most appropriate, considering that it presented a higher number and coverage of bacteria, which is the antibacterial agent. In this perspective, the results indicate that there is an expectation of biofilms to result in a future application in the pharmaceutical industry.

Advance of new dressings for promoting skin wound healing

As a temporary skin substitute, the dressings can protect the wound, stop bleeding, prevent infection and contribute to wound healing. According to the characteristics of the materials, wound dressings can be classified into traditional wound dressings, interactive dressings, bioactive dressings, tissue engineering dressings and smart dressings, etc. Different dressings have different characteristics, and some products have been widely used in clinic. Recently nanomaterials and three-dimensional bio-printing technology have significantly improved the performance of wound dressings. Future dressings will be developed from single function to multi-function composite, and integrated into an intelligent one. This paper reviews the current research progress and future development prospects of wound dressings.

Dual Crosslinked Collagen/Chitosan Film for Potential Biomedical Applications.

The application of polymeric biomaterial scaffolds utilizing crosslinking strategy has become an effective approach in these days. In the present study, the development and characterization of collagen–chitosan hydrogel film has been reported on using dual crosslinking agent’s, i.e., tannic acid and genipin simultaneously. Incorporation of genipin imparts a greenish-blue color to the polymeric film. The effect of dual crosslinking and their successful interaction within the matrix was evaluated by infrared analysis spectroscopy. The porosity of the film was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results of TGA determine the intermediate thermal degradation. Further, the crosslinking phenomenon has found primary impact on the strength of the films. Enzymatic degradation for the films was performed with lysozyme and lipase. The cell adhesion and proliferation was also accomplished using mouse embryonic cell lines wherein the cells cultured on the dual crosslinked film. The thriving utilization of such dual crosslinked polymeric film finds their applications in ophthalmology especially as an implant for temporary injured cornea and skin tissue regeneration.

The use of an external ultrasound fixator (Probefix) on intensive care patients: a feasibility study

BackgroundIn critical care medicine, the use of transthoracic echo (TTE) is expanding. TTE can be used to measure dynamic parameters such as cardiac output (CO). An important asset of TTE is that it is a non-invasive technique. The Probefix is an external ultrasound holder strapped to the patient which makes it possible to measure CO using TTE in a fixed position possibly making the CO measurements more accurate compared to separate TTE CO measurements. The feasibility of the use of the Probefix to measure CO before and after a passive leg raising test (PLR) was studied. Intensive care patients were included after detection of hypovolemia using Flotrac. Endpoints were the possibility to use Probefix. Also CO measurements with and without the use of Probefix, before and after a PLR were compared to the CO measurements using Flotrac. Side effects in terms of skin alterations after the use of Probefix and patient’s comments on (dis)comfort were evaluated.ResultsTen patients were included; in eight patients, sufficient recordings with the use of Probefix could be obtained. Using Bland–Altman plots, no difference was found in accuracy of measurements of CO with or without the use of Probefix before and after a PLR compared to Flotrac generated CO. There were only mild and temporary skin effects of the use of Probefix.ConclusionsIn this small feasibility study, the Probefix could be used in eight out of ten intensive care patients. The use of Probefix did not result in more or less accurate CO measurements compared to manually recorded TTE CO measurements. We suggest that larger studies on the use of Probefix in intensive care patients are needed.

Fabrication of althea officinalis loaded electrospun nanofibrous scaffold for potential application of skin tissue engineering

ABSTRACTThe Althea Officinalis (AO) extract is well known as a traditional herbal drug for its wound healing ability owing to the anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, its mucilaginous properties provide moisturizing and nutritional effects on skin cell proliferation. Therefore, AO extract can be applied in the temporary skin substitute for the ability to expedite the therapy duration. In this study, different concentrations of AO extract (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt %) were incorporated into the nanofibrous scaffolds to study their potential for the skin tissue repairing. The desired scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning the blend of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and gelatin as a synthesized and natural polymer. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized by SEM, FTIR, DSC, TGA, tensile, AO extract release, and cellular culture tests. This study proposed incorporating the AO extract into the nanofibrous scaffolds for accelerating the skin tissue repairing and the optimized amount of AO extract as about 15% was introduced for offering the most desirable electrospun scaffolds for this application. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48587.

Fibrin-collagen hydrogel as a scaffold for dermoepidermal skin substitute, preparation and characterization

Objective: Bioengineered skin substitutes were created to address wound healing problems. Skin substitutes contains live human cells seeded onto a matrix to provide cytokine, growth factor and other proteins from ECM required to decrease healing time. These products are classified based on their durability, the cells seeded on them and their originality. In this study, we aimed to investigate fibrin-collagen hydrogel as a new scaffold to design a bilayer temporary skin equivalent.
 Methods: Fibrin gel was prepared by crosslinking fibrinogen with thrombin and mixing it with collagen type 1. Human fibroblasts and keratinocytes were isolated from skin biopsies of healthy donors and foreskin and the cells were seeded onto 3D hydrogel layer by layer. Morphological assessment, histological analysis, immunocytochemistry were performed to characterize the scaffold properties.
 Result: The results of scaffold characterization demonstrated good porosity, cell viability and biocompatibility of the scaffold.
 Conclusion: Fibrin-collagen as a natural material in organotypic cell culture modeling demonstrates that hydrogel scaffolds can be properly designed to generate bilayer or composite temporary skin grafts.

Experiences with a temporary synthetic skin substitute after decompressive craniectomy: a retrospective two-center analysis.

Decompressive craniectomy is a commonly performed procedure. It reduces intracranial pressure, improves survival, and thus might have a positive impact on several neurosurgical diseases and emergencies. Sometimes primary skin closure is not possible due to cerebral herniation or extensive skin defects. In order to prevent further restriction of the underlying tissue, a temporary skin expansion might be necessary. We retrospectively reviewed patients in need for a temporary skin substitute because skin closure was not possible after craniectomy without violating brain tissue underneath in a time period of 6years (2011-2016). With this study, we present initial experiences of Epigard (Biovision, Germany) as an artificial temporary skin replacement. We performed this analysis at two level-1 trauma centers (Trauma Center Murnau, Germany; University Hospital of St. Poelten, Austria). Demographic data, injury and surgical characteristics, and complication rates were analyzed via chart review. We identified nine patients within our study period. Six patients suffered from severe traumatic brain injury and developed pronounced cerebral herniation in the acute or subacute phase. Three patients presented with non-traumatic conditions (one atypical intracerebral hemorrhage and two patients with extensive destructive tumors invading the skull and scalp). A total of 20 Epigard exchanges (range 1-4) were necessary before skin closure was possible. A CSF fistula due to a leaky Epigard at the interface to the skin was observed in two patients (22%). Additional complications were four wound infections, three CNSinfections, and three patients developed a shunt dependency. Three patients died within the first month after injury. Temporary skin closure with Epigard as a substitute is feasible for a variety of neurosurgical conditions. The high complication and mortality rate reflect the complexity of the encountered pathologies and need to be considered when counseling the patient and their families.