Since its first use on the battlefields of Northern France during the First
World War (1914-1918), sulphur mustard has remained a significant chemical
threat to military forces around the world. Progress towards an effective
treatment for these injuries has been slow due to the lack of suitable anim
al models upon which to study the toxicology and pathology. However, porcin
e and human skin are similar in structure and exposures to sulphur mustard
vapour have been performed on porcine models to define the development and
subsequent resolution of mustard-induced skin injuries. Yucatan miniature (
n = 12) and large white (n = 6) pig models were used to assess the usefulne
ss of mechanical dermabrasion in accelerating the naturally slow rate of he
aling of sulphur mustard vapour-induced injuries to the skin. Burn injuries
underwent debridement at 4 days postexposure and the resulting lesions wer
e assessed at various time points up to 8 weeks post-abrasion.
Rates of re-epithelialisation were accelerated in the dermabrasion (treated
) vs the control (untreated) group by up to a factor of three (ANOVA: p = 0
.0196, Yucatan; p = 0.165, large white pig). It was concluded that dermabra
sion of sulphur mustard burns is a valuable procedure in the surgical manag
ement of these injuries. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All rights
reserved.