Amniotic membrane dressings for treatment of aplasia cutis in newborns.

BACKGROUND: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare congenital skin defect characterized by a focal or extensive absence of the epidermis, dermis, and occasionally, subcutaneous tissue. When the wound caused by this defect is wide or deep, various treatments are used, including skin grafting. The amniotic membrane (AM) is a biological dressing that facilitates re-epithelialization as it contains mesenchymal cells and numerous growth factors.

OBJECTIVE: To report the efficacy of AM dressings in treating the skin defects of ACC.

METHOD: This study was conducted on five neonates diagnosed with ACC born between 2018 and 2022, referred to the Children's Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. AM dressings were applied on wounds larger than 1 cm2 . The wounds were assessed weekly and, if required, an additional AM dressing was applied.

RESULTS: The skin defects gradually re-epithelialized after application of the AM. The complete healing process took around 3.5 weeks on average. No hypertrophic scarring was observed.

CONCLUSION: The application of AM dressing resulted in satisfactory cosmetic outcomes, with no hypertrophic scar formation. Complete healing occurred in all cases except one. The length of the hospital stay ranged from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the size of the wound.