Aluminum foil treatment combined with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for gangrene of the fingertip caused by collagen disease

Potential release of aluminum and other metals by food-grade aluminum foil used for skin allograft cryo preservation

Since 1991, the skin bank of the Queen Astrid Military Hospital uses food-grade aluminum foil as a primary support for storing cryo preserved human donor skin (511 donors). The possible release of heavy metals into the cryo preservation media (30% (v/v) glycerol in physiological water) and the possible impact this release could have on the quality of the cryo preserved donor skin was evaluated. Aluminum was the principal detection target. Possible contaminants of the aluminum foil as such (arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead) were also investigated. The evaluation was set up after a Belgian Competent Authority inspection remark. Aluminum was detected at a concentration of 1.4 mg/l, arsenic and lead were not detected, while cadmium and chromium were detected in trace element quantities. An histological analysis revealed no differences between cryo preserved and fresh donor skin. No adverse reactions in patients, related to the presence of aluminum or heavy metal traces, were reported since the introduction of the cryo preserved donor skin in our burn wound centre.

Basic fibroblast growth factor treatment for various types of recalcitrant skin ulcers: reports of nine cases

The treatment of chronic intractable ulcers constitutes crucial topics in dermatological practice. We describe here nine cases of different types of therapy-resistant ulcers that were successfully treated with the employment of spraying with basic fibroblast growth factor once daily. When it was initiated, we could easily find in all the cases that the healing process of the ulcers was greatly accelerated by this therapy with the resultant achievement of complete epithelialization in a relatively short time. This therapeutic modality is useful not only for chronic ulcers but also for acute extensive ulcers.