Therapeutic outcome of hyperbaric oxygen and basic fibroblast growth factor on intractable skin ulcer in legs: preliminary report

Beneficial effects of hyperbaric oxygen on ischemic vascular diseases have been noted. Acceleration of wound healing with basic fibroblast growth factor has also been reported. The authors employed combination therapy of hyperbaric oxygen and basic fibroblast growth factor in patients with skin ulcer in legs refractory to conventional therapy. Three men and four women were simultaneously treated with hyperbaric oxygen at 2 absolute atmospheric pressures for 90 minutes daily and spray treatment of basic fibroblast growth factor to the ulcer bed daily for an average of 2.6 months. Biopsy specimens obtained from ulcer tissues were divided into two pieces, one for histologic examination and the other for measuring fibrous protein. Ulcers were completely cured in five of seven patients. Two patients showed shrinkage of ulcer size. This combined therapy induced proliferation of connective tissue of the ulcer tissues, especially collagen and noncollagenous protein. Combined treatment with hyperbaric oxygen and basic fibroblast growth factor may be useful in patients with intractable skin ulcers in legs, and the shrinkage effect of this therapy is probably related to the proliferation of granulation tissues of the ulcer lesion.