1. Autologous Fat Grafting for the Oral and Digital Complications of Systemic Sclerosis: Results of a Prospective Study
- Author
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Massimo Dominici, Dilia Giuggioli, Marco Pignatti, Giorgia Citriniti, Giorgio De Santis, Giacomo Setti, Carlo Salvarani, Federica Lumetti, Giulia Boscaini, Emanuele Cocchiara, Amelia Spinella, Irene Laura Lusetti, Pignatti, Marco, Spinella, Amelia, Cocchiara, Emanuele, Boscaini, Giulia, Lusetti, Irene Laura, Citriniti, Giorgia, Lumetti, Federica, Setti, Giacomo, Dominici, Massimo, Salvarani, Carlo, De Santis, Giorgio, and Giuggioli, Dilia
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.medical_treatment ,030230 surgery ,Transplantation, Autologous ,Xerostomia ,030207 dermatology & venereal diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Quality of life ,Microstomia ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Autologous fat grafting ,Prospective cohort study ,Reduction (orthopedic surgery) ,Scleroderma, Systemic ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,Stem cell transplantation ,Digital ulcers ,Evidence-based medicine ,medicine.disease ,Connective tissue disease ,Surgery ,Plastic surgery ,Treatment Outcome ,Adipose Tissue ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Quality of Life ,Systemic sclerosis ,Systemic sclerosis Autologous fat grafting Stem cell transplantation Xerostomia Microstomia Digital ulcers ,business - Abstract
Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease. Skin involvement of the mouth and hand may compromise function and quality of life. Autologous fat grafting has been described as a specific treatment of these clinical features. We report the results of our prospective study designed to treat and prevent skin complications in systemic sclerosis. We treated 25 patients with mouth and/or hand involvement (microstomia, xerostomia, skin sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon and long-lasting digital ulcers) with autologous fat grafting, according to the Coleman’s technique, around the mouth and/or at the base of each finger. The surgical procedures were repeated in each patient every 6 months for a total of two or three times. Clinical data were collected before the first surgery and again 6 months after each surgical procedure. Pain, skin thickness, saliva production and disability were assessed with validated tests. Overall we performed 63 autologous fat grafting sessions (either on the mouth, on the hands or on both anatomical areas). Results at 6 moths after the last session included improvement of xerostomia evaluated with a sialogram, reduction of the skin tension around the mouth and, in the hands, reduction of the Raynaud phenomenon as well as skin thickness. Pain was reduced while the perception of disability improved. Digital ulcers healed completely in 8/9 patients. Our results confirm the efficacy and safety of autologous fat grafting for the treatment of skin complications and digital ulcers due to systemic sclerosis. In addition, the patients’ subjective well-being improved. Level of evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
- Published
- 2020