Abstract
The management of moist skin desquamation (ulceration) following radiation therapy has been a concern since the inception of this therapy. The treatment of skin reactions focuses on promoting healing, improving patient comfort preventing infection and decreasing trauma to the area. Various dressings like topical preparations, hydrocolloid and gentian violet 1 % dressing have been used for its treatment. We present our experience with the use of amnion as a biological dressing in patients with radiation induced ulceration following pelvic radiation using megavoltage beam. The preliminary experience with treatment in 14 patients proved to be cost effective due to a shorter duration of ulcer healing (median of 7 days), fewer dressing changes (median of 4 dressings) and diminished use of analgesics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agren MS, Franzen L and Chvapil M (1993) Effects on wound healing of zinc oxide in a hydrocolloid dressing. J AmAcad Dermatol 29(2.1): 221-227.
Banks V, Bale S and Harding K et al. (1997) Evaluation of a new polyurethane foam dressing. J Wound Care 6(6): 266-269
Bari MM and Begum R (1999) Use of radiation-sterilised amniotic membrane grafts as temporary biological dressings for the treatment of leprotic ulcers. In: Phillips GO, Strong DM, von Versen R and Nather A (eds) Advances in Tissue Banking, Vol 3, pp 477-483. World Scientific
Bennett JP, Matthews R and Faulk WP (1980) Treatment of chronic ulceration of the legs with human amnion. Lancet 1: 1153-1156
Bentzen SH, Overgaard M and Thames et al. (1989) Hodgkin's disease. Early and late normal tissue injury after post mastectomy radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 56: 711-715
Burgos H (1983) Angiogenic and growth promoting factors in human amnio-chorion and placenta. Eur J Clin Invest 13: 289
Burgos H (1986) Angiogenic factor from human term placenta: Purification and partial characterisation. Eur J Clin Invest 16: 486
Colocho G, Graham WP, Greene AE, Matheson DW and Lynch D (1971) Human amniotic membrane as a physiologic wound dressing. Arch Surg 109: 370-373
D'Angio GJ, Faber S and Maddock CL (1959) Potentiation of x-ray effects by actinomycin D. Radiology 73(2): 175-180
Dini D, Macchia R and Gozza A et al. (1993) Management of acute radiodermatitis. Pharmacological or nonpharmacological remedies? Cancer Nurs 16(5): 366-370
Dutreix J (1986) Human skin. Early and late reactions in relation to dose and its time distribution. Br J Radiol 59(19): 2-3
Faulk WP, Matthews RN, Stevens PJ, Bennett JP, Burgos H and Hsi B (1980) Human amnion as an adjunct in wound healing. Lancet 1: 1156-1158
Hansson C (1997) Interactive wound dressings. A practical guide to their use in older patients. Drugs Aging 11(4): 271-284
Hoque F, Muldoon S, Rahman S and Islam M (1999) An initial study of pressure sore management with amniotic membrane dressing. In: Phillips GO, Strong DM, von Versen R and Nather A (eds) Advances in Tissue Banking, Vol 3, pp 491-493. World Scientific
Kumar A, Singh R, Dass P, Chauhan US and Kumar P (2000) Microbiological studies and applications of radiation sterilised human amniotic membrane, pp 189-191, NAC 2000, Mumbai, March 2000
Lin SN, Lai CS, Hou MF and Yang C (1985) Amnion overlay skin autografts. Burns 11: 374-378
Lobo Gajiwala A (2003) Setting up a Tissue Bank in India: The Tata Memorial Hospital Experience. Cell and Tissue Banking (this issue)
Maral T, Borman H, Arslan H, Demirhan B, Akinbingol G and Haberal M (1999) Effectiveness of human amnion preserved longterm in glycerol as a temporary biological dressing. Burns 25: 625-635
Margolin SG, Breneman JC and Denman DL et al. (1990) Management of radiation induced moist desquamation using hydrocolloid dressing. Cancer Nurs 13(2): 71-80
Mayer EG, Poulter CA and Aristizabal SA (1976) Complication of irradiation related to apparent drug potentiation by adriamycin. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1: 1179-1188
Patwardhan A, Sharma V and Dinshaw KA (2002). Duoderm CGF vs Gentian Violet 1% dressing in treatment of radiation induced ulcers. WCET J 22(2): 32-38
Ramakrishnan KM and Jayaraman V (1997) Management of partial thickness burn wounds by amniotic membrane: A cost effective treatment in developing countries. Burns 23(1): 33-36
Rao TV and Chandrasekharam V (1981) Use of dry human and bovine amnion as a biological dressing. Arch Surg 116: 891-896
Rejzek A, Weyer F, Eichberger R and Gebhart W (2001) Physical changes of amniotic membranes through glycerolisation for the use as an epidermal substitute: Light and electron microscope studies. Cell Tissue Bank 2: 95-102
Roberts DB and Travis EL (1995) Acemannan containing wound dressing gel reduces radiation induced skin reaction in C3h mice. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 32(4): 1047-1052
Robson MC and Krizek TJ (1973) The effect of human amniotic membranes on the bacterial population of infected rat burns. Ann Surg 177(2): 144-149
Robson MC, Sanburg JL and Krizek TJ (1973) Amniotic membranes as a temporary wound dressing. Surg Gynecol Obstet 136: P 904
Rodier-Bruant C, Keller P, Hermans D, Stricher R, Geiger D, Manunta A and Wilk A (1992) The use of sorbsan in the treatment of the donor site of skin transplantations. Minerva Chir 47(11): 995-999
Rothman PA, Wiskind AK and Dudley AG (1990) Amniotic membranes in the treatment of necrotising fasciitis complicating vulvar herpes virus infection. Obstet Gynaec 76(3): 534-536
Sato Y, Morita M and Takahashi H et al. (1970) Combined surgery, radiotherapy, and regional chemotherapy in carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses. Cancer 25: 571-579
See A, Wright S and Denham JW (1998) Apilot study of dermofilm in acute radiation-induced desquamative skin reactions. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 10(3): 182-185
Shimm DS and Canady JR (1994) The Skin. In: Fox JD (ed) Moss Radiation Oncology Rationale, Technique, Results. 7th edition, pp 99-100, chapter 4, The CV Mosby Company. St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Smith DS and Chamorro TP (1978) Nursing care of patients undergoing combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Cancer Nurs 1: 129-134
Subrahmanyam M (1995) Amniotic membrane as a cover or microskin grafts. Br J Plast Surg 48: 477-478
Talmi YP, Sigler L, Inge E, Kinkelstein Y and Zohar Y (1991) Antibacterial properties of human amniotic membranes. Placenta 12: 285-288
Walker AB, Looney DR and Allen JE (1977) Use of fresh amnion as a burn dressing. J Pediatr Surg 92: 391-395
Ward DJ and Bennett JP (1984) The long-term results of the use of human amnion in the treatment of leg ulcers. Br J Plast Surg 37: 191-193
Ward DJ, Bennett JP, Burgos H and Fabre J (1989) The healing of chronic venous leg ulcers with prepared human amnion Br J Plast Surg 42: 463-467
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lobo Gajiwala, A., Sharma, V. Use of Irradiated Amnion as a Biological Dressing in the Treatment of Radiation Induced Ulcers. Cell Tissue Banking 4, 147–150 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CATB.0000007024.81019.03
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CATB.0000007024.81019.03