Biomaterial Database

Skin ultrastructure after CO2 laser resurfacing. 1998

S S Collawn, and R E Boissy, and L O Vasconez

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-3295, USA.

Skin ultrastructure was examined in patients undergoing CO2 laser resurfacing for facial rejuvenation. The lasers used in this study were the Coherent Ultrapulse CO2 laser with computerized pattern generator, the Sharplan Feathertouch laser, and the Laserscope Paragon-70 pulsed CO2 laser with computerized pattern generator. Results showed that the epidermis was totally removed with one pass of the CO2 laser. After one laser pass, there was little compaction of collagen in the dermis, but after two and three passes, there were sequential graded increases in collagen compaction with loss of the intervening extracellular gel matrix. There was no "collagen shrinkage," and the collagen itself was marginally affected, except for occasional losses in striations at the surface of the specimens. Elastin was very much affected by the laser such that with only one pass, the elastin was abnormal, presenting with a mottled heterogeneous structure. This elastin aberrancy was present in both the papillary and reticular dermis. After one laser pass, fibroblast necrosis was present in the papillary dermis and the reticular dermis (depending on which laser was used), and the extent and depth of necrosis increased with multiple laser passes.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009336	Necrosis	The death of cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply.
D003094	Collagen	A polypeptide substance comprising about one third of the total protein in mammalian organisms. It is the main constituent of SKIN; CONNECTIVE TISSUE; and the organic substance of bones (BONE AND BONES) and teeth (TOOTH).	Avicon,Avitene,Collagen Felt,Collagen Fleece,Collagenfleece,Collastat,Dermodress,Microfibril Collagen Hemostat,Pangen,Zyderm,alpha-Collagen,Collagen Hemostat, Microfibril,alpha Collagen
D004549	Elastin		alpha-Elastin,kappa-Elastin,alpha Elastin,kappa Elastin
D004867	Equipment Design	Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware.	Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D005347	Fibroblasts	Connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules.	Fibroblast
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D015361	Rhytidoplasty	Plastic surgery performed, usually by excision of skin, for the elimination of wrinkles from the skin.	Face Lift,Rhytidectomy,Facelift,Platysmaplasty,Platysmotomy,Face Lifts,Facelifts,Lift, Face,Lifts, Face,Platysmaplasties,Platysmotomies,Rhytidectomies,Rhytidoplasties
D053685	Laser Therapy	The use of photothermal effects of LASERS to coagulate, incise, vaporize, resect, dissect, or resurface tissue.	Laser Knife,Laser Scalpel,Surgery, Laser,Vaporization, Laser,Laser Ablation,Laser Knives,Laser Photoablation of Tissue,Laser Surgery,Laser Tissue Ablation,Nonablative Laser Treatment,Pulsed Laser Tissue Ablation,Ablation, Laser,Ablation, Laser Tissue,Knife, Laser,Knifes, Laser,Knive, Laser,Knives, Laser,Laser Knifes,Laser Knive,Laser Scalpels,Laser Surgeries,Laser Therapies,Laser Treatment, Nonablative,Laser Treatments, Nonablative,Laser Vaporization,Nonablative Laser Treatments,Scalpel, Laser,Scalpels, Laser,Surgeries, Laser,Therapies, Laser,Therapy, Laser,Tissue Ablation, Laser