HistologicandimmunohistochemicalfeaturesinbiopsysitesinwhichbovinecollagenmatrixwasusedforhemostasisCOLKathleenJ.Smith,MC,USA,aCAPTHenryG.Skelton,MC,USN,bCAPTTerryL.Barrett,MC,USA,dMAJMarkWelch,MC,USA,candMAJJeffreyBeard,MC,USAcWashington,D.C.,andSanDiego,CaliforniaBackground:Bovinecollagenmatrix(HelistatandHelatene),whichisusedprimarilyforhemostasis,decreaseswoundcontractureinskinbiopsysitesandpromoteswoundgranula-tion.Objective:Ourpurposewastoevaluateexcisionspecimensofpreviousbiopsysitestode-terminewhethertherearehistologicdifferencesbetweencasesinwhichbovinecollagenma-trixwasusedforhemostasisandthoseinwhichitwasnotused.Methods:Thirty-twodiagnosticpunchbiopsiesweredonewithhemostasisobtainedwithbovinecollagenmatrixin24biopsiesandbypressurealoneineight.Thebiopsysiteswerereexcisedatvarioustimeintervals,andthehistologicandimmunohistochemicalfeatureswereevaluatedandcompared.Results:Inspecimensinwhichcollagenmatrixwasused,migrationofstromalandepithe-lialcellsalongthebovinecollagenmatrixwasevidentby2daysandhadprogressedrapidlyby4days.Aroundandwithintheman-ixhyaluronicacidincreasedduringthefirst8to10days.InitiallystromalcellsstainedwithCD34andreticulumfiberswerepresentat8to10days.At12to15days,factorXIIIa+stromalcellswerepresentwithinthemala-ix,andhostcollagenfiberswerepresentandwell-orientedwithinthedegeneratingmatrix.Biopsyspec-imensallowedtohealwithoutthematrixshowedadelayedandanunevenincreaseinhy-aluronicacid.Furthermore,thegranulationtissuewithinthedermisshowednoorganizationwithapersistentacuteinflammatoryinfiltrateandincreasedmuscleacfin-positivestromalcellsasscarformationproceeded.Conclusion:Bovinecollagenproductsappeartoprovideamatrixthatpromotesthrombosis.Thecollagenmatrixalsopromotesmigrationandattachmentofstromalandepithelialcells,therebyorganizingandacceleratingwoundhealing.(JAMACADDERMATOL1996;34:434-8.)Bovinecollagenproducts(HelistatandHelitene)arepreparedfromAchillestendoncollagen.Achil-lestendonisusedbecauseofitslowallergenicpo-tential.Theharvestedcolla...
