Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by abnormal sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation with early appearance of variable premalignant and malignant skin lesions leading to a reduction in life expectancy because of tumor metastasis .
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the role of chemical peels in clearing the skin background in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
To achieve the objective of the present study, a case-series design was adopted covering 14 patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. They were treated in the Plastic Surgery Unit at Al-Jumhori Teaching Hospital in Mosul, for the period from March 2011 to May 2012. Surgical excision was done first for the malignant skin lesions then chemical peeling of the face, using 30% trichloro- acetic acid was done. Assessment of the results was performed by the patients or their caregivers and by two plastic surgeons, depending on the number of lesions and the degree of pigmentation which were classified into 3 degrees, as poor, (no changes occur), moderate and good (depending on the improvement in skin background by the decrease in freckling and lightening of the pigmentation.
RESULTS:
Fourteen patients with xeroderma pigmentosum were enrolled in this study, 9 males and 5 females, their age range was 1 to 30 years. Malignant lesions were treated by excision and split- thickness skin graft or local flaps. The evaluated results of facial skin improvement after chemical peeling were poor in 2 patients, moderate in 7 patients and good improvement was shown in 5 patients. No significant complications developed, except scarring in one case and hyperpigmentation in 2 cases.
CONCLUSION:
Chemical peel is a simple procedure which was tolerated by the patients and can be used to improve the facial skin background and eliminate all subclinical premalignant lesions .