Skin allograft in the treatment of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)

BACKGROUND. TEN is a severe form of exfoliative dermatitis. Its course is acute and its outcome fatal in 40% of cases. Wound cover to prevent fluid/protein loss and infections and to control pain, is the first step, as for burns. Skin allograft can be successfully used for this purpose. OBJECTIVE. We report two cases of TEN with de-epithelialization of 50 and 70% of the total body surface area. The patients were given support therapy and treated with human glycerol-preserved skin allografts for wound cover. METHODS. Patients were grafted with glycerol-preserved donor skin, obtained from a skin bank. RESULTS. Re-epithelization of treated areas was complete in 8 days; pain relief was obtained soon after the graft. CONCLUSIONS. Glycerol-preserved skin allograft is an effective treatment in extensive skin loss, for its barrier and analgesic effect. Quality standards of this product ensure safety and simplicity of use at limited cost.