MODIFICATIONS OF THE CUTANEOUS MICRORELIE F IN THE SUPERFICIAL RADIATION-INDUCED FIBROSIS - QUALITATIVE STUDY

Cutaneous radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is characterized by a skin retraction or atrophy, toughness to the palpation and often entails fu nctional limitation. its clinical evaluation remains poorly quantified . The aim of this study was to propose an analytical method to quantif y RIF skin surface with the replica technique. In this preliminary stu dy, we report the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the cutan eous microrelief in 44 healthy controls and in four patients presentin g a superficial RIF, 3 to 20 years after radiotherapy for cancer. The microrelief of these RIF presented an abnormal anisotropy with a paral lel reorganization of cutaneous valleys in three cases out of four, su ggesting a premature radiation-induced ageing of the skin. Each subjec t being his own control, the relative vertical amplitude of the skin m icrorelief was +/- 15% in control skin. Vertical amplitude was respect ively increased by 84% in one inflammatory fibrosis (3 years after RT) , decreased by 18% in one evolutive fibrosis (6 years after RT), decre ased by 26% in one voluminous stabilized fibrosis (8 years after RT) a nd decreased by 53% in one atrophic fibrosis (20 years after RT). The present study suggests that the variations of the microrelief paramete rs could reflect the RIF evolution. This technique requires a validati on in a larger series of patients, including patients with telangiecta sia.