Formulation of trichloroacetic acid peeling solution: A bibliometric analysis

Since the beginning of this century, trichloroacetic acid solutions of vari ous concentrations have been used for chemical exfoliation. These solutions have been prepared by using four different formulas. To prepare a 50% solu tion, for instance, water may be added to 50 g of trichloroacetic acid crys tals until 100 ml of solution is obtained ( weight-to-volume solution). Alt ernatively, 50 g of water may be added to 50 g of trichloroacetic acid crys tals (weight-to-weight solution), or 50 g of trichloroacetic acid crystals may be solved in 100 mi of water (weight-plus-volume solution). Finally, a saturated trichloroacetic acid solution (or "100% solution") may be diluted by an equal volume of water (dilution). Depending on the method used, thes e so-called 50% solutions contain 40 to 71 weight-to-volume percentages of trichloroacetic acid. From a review of 120 publications on trichloroacetic acid peeling that have appeared since 1926, it was concluded that the authors of 87 of these publ ications (73 percent) did not report their formula for the trichloroacetic acid solution. Any one of the four methods was reported to have been used b y the 33 authors who did report their formula. Eight of 10 internationally reputed pharmacopeias were found not to include the formula of a trichloroa cetic acid solution. Proper evaluation of results and prevention of complications of trichloroac etic acid chemexfoliation is only feasible if both the concentration and th e formula of trichloroacetic acid solution are reported by the author. Prac titioners who use a trichloroacetic acid solution need to establish that th e concentration of the solution they apply corresponds with that of the sol ution reported in the literature.