Effect of visible and infrared polarized light on the healing process of full-thickness skin wounds: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND DATA: Polarized light has already been experimentally and clinically used in an effort to promote wound healing, but the findings have been equivocal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of visible and infrared polarized light of a specific range of wavelength (580-3400 nm) on the secondary healing of full-thickness skin wounds in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were used, divided in two groups of 20 animals each. A standardized open full-thickness skin wound was created on the back of each animal. In the first group the rats were exposed to polarized light (40 mW/cm(2) and 2.4 J/cm(2)) for 7 min on a daily basis (total daily dose = 16.8 J/cm(2)), while the second group acted as controls. Clinical and histological evaluation of wound healing were performed on days 5, 10, 15, and 20 post-wound. The size of the wounds was measured with the use of planimetry, whereas epithelialization, inflammatory response, neovascularization, and collagen formation were histologically assessed. RESULTS: According to our findings, the group exposed to light therapy showed statistically significantly faster epithelialization seen on days 10 and 15 post-wound compared to controls, as well as better quality of the healing process (although not statistically significantly) at all time points. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this specific fraction of polarized light seems to have beneficial effects on wound healing, leading to faster epithelialization and qualitatively better wound healing.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's hemangioma) presenting as a soft-tissue sarcoma.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's hemangioma) is an unusual benign, non-neoplastic, vascular lesion characterized histologically by papillary fronds lined by proliferating endothelium. It may appear as a primary or pure form developing in a distended vessel, or it can be associated with hemangiomas, pyogenic granulomas, or lymphagiomas. Nearly all lesions are intimately associated with a thrombus in various stages of organization. The main significance of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia is its clinical and histological resemblance to soft-tissue sarcoma and possible misinterpretation as such. A case of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia clinically diagnosed and treated as a low-grade angiosarcoma, in a 60-year-old man, presenting with a mass in the left thigh, is reported.

Giant benign true cyst of the spleen with high serum level of CA 19-9.

We report the case of a 21-year-old woman with a giant (20 cm) benign mesothelial splenic cyst and a high CA 19-9 serum level (1240 U/ml). The patient underwent resection of the cyst and splenectomy. True non-parasitic splenic cysts are very rare. Only 10 cases of benign true splenic cysts, with a high CA 19-9 serum level, have ever been published in the medical literature written in English. These are reviewed in this paper. We believe that the inner cellular lining of the cyst wall produces CA 19-9, which causes the high CA 19-9 serum level. This is supported by the facts that (1) the inner cellular lining is strongly positive for immunohistochemistry with CA 19-9, and (2) the CA 19-9 serum level returned to normal after resection of the cyst.