Treatment of 100 Chronic Thalassemic Leg Wounds by Plasma-rich Platelets

Objective: Thalassemia is a heterogeneous group of congenital hemoglobinopathies caused by mutations in the globin gene complex that result in an unbalanced globin synthesis. Unmatched globin chains bind to the cytosolic surface of red blood cell membrane where they cause oxidative damage that might in part be responsible for membrane weakness. The deformability of red blood cells and hypercoagulable state in thalassemic patients have been incriminated in leg ulcer formation, as this might cause ischemia to the skin and consequently friability and ulceration.

Methods: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) gel is considered an advanced wound therapy for chronic and acute wounds. PRP gel consists of cytokines, growth factors, chemokines, and a fibrin scaffold derived from a patient's blood. In this study, we treated 100 thalassemic leg wounds using PRP.

Results: There was wound size reduction in patients after 4 weeks of treatment. In wounds with 2-3.5 cm surface area, complete closure happened after 12.5 weeks, 5-12 cm wounds completely closed after 13.2 weeks, and finally, 4.5-6 cm wounds healed completely after 14 weeks. None of the wounds reopened after 8 months of monitoring.

Conclusion: This study will help extrapolation of the use of PRP for at least thalassemic leg wound treatment.