Abstract
Purpose: :
Photochemical collagen augmentation is a new technology designed to strengthen and reshape diseased cornea or modify their refraction. We decided to take on a different approach and investigate its potential as a tissue augmentation in human eyelid skin.
Methods: :
Clear liquid collagen mixed with fast-crosslinker (PriaVision) was injected subcutaneously in three dissected porcine and human eyelid skin by a 30 gauge needle. The tissues were immediately exposed to ~370nm Ultraviolet A (UVA) light for 4 minutes. Histology slides were then prepared with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining and Masson’s Trichrome staining.
Results: :
Microscopic examination of the porcine eyelid skin did not show any obvious areas of foreign material. However, a thin grayish layer of solidified crosslinker intermixed with fine strands of blue staining collagen was noted in the reticular dermis layer of the human skin when staining with Masson’s Trichrome.
Conclusions: :
Liquid collagen when intermixed with a fast crosslinking agent was successfully solidified through photochemical augmentation in human but not porcine skin tissue. The porcine dermis was very compact without potential space which made injections and light delivery difficult. This demonstrates that the human skin is a better model when experimentally testing this new collagen crosslinker for subdermal skin augmentation. We believe that photochemical collagen augmentation may be a novel approach to eyelid or periorbital reconstructive surgery and have a more permanent effect than traditional collagen injection techniques.
Keywords: eyelid • shape and contour • injection