High-Frequency Generator in Wound Healing
of Marjolin’s Ulcer After Carcinoma Resection
Pascale Mutti Tacani,1,* Rogério Eduardo Tacani,2
Aline Fernanda Perez Machado,3 Débora Montezello,4
João Carlos Guedes Sampaio Góes,5 Angela Gonçalves Marx,6
and Richard Eloin Liebano7
1
Physical Therapy Department, Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control (IBCC), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Physical Therapy Department, São Camilo University Centre, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Physical Therapy Department, Paulista University (UNIP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
4
Nurse and 5Medicine Departments, Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control (IBCC), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
6
Physical Therapy Department, Angela Marx Clinic, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
7
Physical Therapy Department, Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCAR), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This work was presented at II Brazilian Conference of Physiotherapy in Oncology, June 2011, Goiania, Brazil.
2
3
Marjolin’s ulcers (MU) are skin malignancies that form over burn injuries.
These very aggressive ulcers can result in functional and wound healing impairment, and require a well thought out treatment plan. Physiotherapy offers
resources to help promote recovery of these patients, as described in this case
report, in which the patient with a history of burn in the lower limbs evolved to
malignancy 32 years later. This patient underwent tumor resection of the left
foot, with recurrence and lymphadenectomy. Physical therapy included the
application of high-frequency generator (HFG) for wound healing and exercises for functional recovery. The treatment lasted for many months and resulted in the improvement of the surgical wound areas, pain, swelling,
sensitivity, strength muscle, and gait. It was observed that the use of HFG can
be a tool in the tissue repair of surgical wound after the resection of MU;
however, further studies need to be carried out to suit parameters and ensure
safety of cancer patients.
Pascale Mutti Tacani, MSc
Submitted for publication July 21, 2017. Accepted in revised form October 29, 2017.
*Correspondence: Physical Therapy Department, Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control (IBCC),
Alcantara Machado Avenue, 2576. Mooca, Sao
Paulo, SP 03102-002, Brazil
(e-mail: pascale.tacani@hotmail.com).
Keywords: skin ulcer, physical therapy modalities, carcinoma,
squamous cell, wound healing, burns, lower extremity
INTRODUCTION
Marjolin’s ulcer (MU) is a rare
and often aggressive pathology in
which skin ulceration and malignancy
occur in regions chronically inflamed,
scarred, or traumatized.1,2 The previous burn scars represent 76% of the
patients whose condition evolve to
squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in
71% of cases, usually in the fifth decade of life. The lower extremities
present higher incidence of SCC (41%)
and the treatment becomes a challenge due to the greater aggressive-
ADVANCES IN WOUND CARE, VOLUME 7, NUMBER 5
Copyright ª 2018 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
ness of carcinoma and high recurrence
of metastases (35%). Generally, there
is a need for wide local excisions, skin
grafting or flaps in wound closure,
and eventually, chemoradiotherapy.1,2
These may bring consequences to cancer patients, leading to problems of
scarring, functional alterations, pain,
lymphedema, impairment in occupational activities, and poor quality of
life, which may require physiotherapy
to complement their recovery.1,3
There is poor investigation on
follow-up and the conditions under
DOI: 10.1089/wound.2017.0757
j
165
TACANI ET AL.
166
which the patients survives after the control of
MU, especially because they may have delayed
wound healing, infection, necrosis, pain, and
functional impairment.1 The use of physical agents
can improve wound healing4 and skin transplants
viability5 and it has been growing as a complementary method to topical and medication agents
to treat some complicated wounds.6
The High-Frequency Generator (HFG) operates
on alternating current of high frequency (1.000–
200.000 Hz), low intensity (60–100 mA) with a
tension between 6 and 40 kV depends on the body
resistance (about 10.000 Ohms). The passage of the
current through the glass electrode, which has rarefied air or neon gas inside, promotes the ionization
of these gas molecules, represented by sparking
effects and then, produces ozone around the area.
The ozone produced is very instable and during
the application of the HFG over the skin surface,
this molecule easily decomposes in oxygen (O2) and
atomic oxygen (O). The formation of these atomic
oxygen molecules influences the biochemical events
of cellular metabolism and promotes antimicrobial,
bactericide and fungicide effects.4,6,7 These properties accelerate the tissue repair and can control the
infection process as showed by some experimental4,7
and clinical studies6,8 described on Table 1.
CLINICAL PROBLEM ADDRESSED
The main effects of the physical agents are that
they can stimulate cellular metabolism, cellular
growth, and angiogenesis,4–7 but there is no consensus if they can stimulate tumor growth in humans, as well.3,5,9 However, several benefits have
been showed to cancer patients, as reduction of
pain, mucositis, necrosis, hematoma, and lymphedema.3,5,9 To the best our knowledge, there is no
information about the treatment of chronic wound
by HFG after MU resection. Therefore, the objective of this article is to present a case report of a
man who developed a complicated wound after MU
resection and which was treated by HFG.
CASE PRESENTATION
This case presentation was approved by Ethics
Committee of Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control
(IBCC) and, the patient authorized the use of his
data and images through an informed consent.
A 59 years-old male patient, swarthy, incomplete
basic education level, worked as a watchman,
smoker, sedentary, body mass index of 24.66 kg/m2,
hypertensive, and Hepatitis C. He suffered second
and third degree steam burns in the lower limb
extremities in 1975 at age of 25, and a skin graft
was performed on left foot. In 2007, 32 years later,
he presented a SCC on left foot diagnosed as MU.
In October 2008, a resection was performed followed by a reconstruction of flexor digitorum longus
muscle, subcutaneous cell tissue, and skin using a
myocutaneous flap. In December 2008, a new and
wide excision followed by skin graft was performed
due to tumor recurrence. It evolved to necrosis,
Table 1. Experimental and clinical investigations about high frequency/ozone effects
Authors
Study Type
4
Sousa et al.
Experimental
In vivo
Mice male
Excisional wounds
Objective
Description
Outcomes
HFG was less effective than laser but
04 groups (n = 10 each one)
better than control; improves
G1 Control
angiogenesis and fibroblast
G2 HFG
proliferation at earlier phases of
G3 Laser 5 J/cm2
G4 Laser 8 J/cm2
wound healing.
Ozone reduced the total of
Experimental group (n = 35 teeth).
To evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial
Prebeg et al.7 Experimental
In vitro
microorganisms 89.3%; S. aureus
Control groups: Positive/Negative
efficacy of ozone delivered to infected
94.0%; S. epidermidis 88.6%;
control (n = 5 teeth each one). Ozone
Human tooth root
root canals of extracted teeth by
E. faecalis 79.7%. Ozone was more
was applied by special KP syringe of
Enterococcus faecalis,
special KP syringe of Ozonytron—a
effective than NaOCl for both
high frequency ozone generator.
Staphyloccocus aureus,
high frequency ozone generator
Staphyloccocus, but less effective for
Staphyloccocus epidermidis
E. faecalis.
Korelo et al.6 Clinical Prospective
To explore the application of HFG in the Patients n = 8, 49.6 mean age; Pressure The HFG/Ozone improved wound healing
by the tools used: PUSH Tool p = 0.04,
ulcer Grade II/III
treatment of pain, scarring, and
Pilot study Patients with
PSST p = 0.02, Planimetry and ImageJ
Control n = 2
surface areas of pressure ulcers
Pressure Ulcer
p = 0.02
HFG group n = 6
10 consecutive days
Tacani et al.8 Clinical Retrospective
To analyze the prevalence of surgical
Total evaluated 123 patients (medical
Five patients with seven dehiscence
Patients with postoperative
wound dehiscence and their
reports)
were treated with HFG two times a
dehiscence
respective physical therapy treatment 44.6 Mean age
week
in the plastic surgery postoperative 93.5% Woman
7–19 sessions until complete wound
period.
healing
9.8% Presented dehiscence (n = 12)
To evaluate in a macroscopic,
histological and histomorphometric
manner the healing process of
cutaneous wounds in mice
HFG, High-Frequency Generator; NaOCl, sodium hypochlorite; PSST, Pressure Score Status Tool; PUSH, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing.
HIGH-FREQUENCY GENERATOR IN WOUND HEALING
resulting in a surgical debridement and the postoperative wound remained opened. In February
2009, he was submitted to lymphadenectomy, due
to metastasis, of the paraaortic, iliac, inguinal, and
obturator foramen lymph nodes with myocutaneous flap reconstruction of the tensor fasciae latae
and it followed well. After 1 year being treated once
a week by wound care, the nurse team referred him
to the physiotherapy in February 2010, when he
was evaluated for first time. He presented five
surgical wounds in the medial region of the left foot
and ankle, which were measured with transparent
thin film adhesives and sterile and then traced for
digitization and area calculation using the ImageJÒ software (Fig. 1).
Four of the wounds were oval <10 cm2 in area
and deeper than the fifth wound that was 40 cm2
in area and uniformly shallow. All of them presented pink color, pale, with a little quantity of
fibrin around the borders, and there was no odor,
secretion, or infection signs, neither necrosis.
Around the wounds following was observed: dry
skin and depigmented hypochromic stains; moderate edema with no pitting; estimate volume of
lower limb (Disc Method): right side = 2,831.44 mL
167
and left = 2,970.70 mL; anesthesia (tactile and
thermal); hypoesthesia (pain) in lumbar vertebrae
5/sacral vertebrae 1 (L5/S1) showed by magenta
monofilament of 300 gf (Semmes Weinstein
Monofilaments); pain score 9 VAS (Visual Analog
Scale); deficit of muscular strength for flexion and
extension of hallucis; abduction; thigh flexion
(grade 3); and dorsiflexion (grade 4) in the left
side, limping gait compensated by the quadratus
lumborum muscle.
The treatment consisted of the application of the
HFG—SkinnerÒ with a frequency of 1,700 Hz,
tension of 8 kV in the air and 100% of amplitude
(80 mA of maximal intensity). A sparking technique with a saturated electrode was used for
10 min in the larger wound and for 5 min in the
other four smaller wounds, two times a week, as
seen in Supplementary Video S1 (Supplementary
Data are available online at www.liebertpub.com/
wound).
After the HFG, a simple dressing with oil-based
essential fatty acids (DersaniÒ) was applied by a
nurse. Following, the patient was instructed to
perform resistance exercises with the left lower
limb and gait training. A total of 48 sessions were
held in 2010 and improvement was observed in the
edema volume (left = 2,863.46 mL), sensitivity (orange monofilament of 10 gf), pain (VAS score 0),
muscle strength (grade 4 and 5), gait (reduced
compensation), and in the wounds. All of them
were more colored, without fibrin, with a good aspect and the wounds 4 and 5 closed. The treatment
continued in 2011 with 36 sessions, when the
wound 2 closed, the wound 3 reduced and divided
itself in two, the wound 1 reduced a little more and
all of them maintained good aspects without complications. In 2012–2013, 32 sessions were carried
out (only 16 per year) and the wound 3 almost
closed in 2012, but in 2013 grew up again, as the
wound 1, that grew up in 2012 and reduced again in
2013. The percentage reduction in wound area
(cm2) is shown in Table 2 and Fig. 2.
Table 2. Reduction in the wound area during treatment
expressed as percentage (%), year and general mean
Reduction (%)
Wound
Figure 1. Tracing of the wounds for digitization and measurement using
the ImageJÒ software.
1
2
3
4
5
Mean per year
General mean
2010
-41.60
-82.75
-45.90
-100
-100
-74.05
-84.0277
2011
2012
2013
-57.64
-100
-71.20
-100
-100
-85.77
-59.91
-100
-87.39
-100
-100
-89.46
-66.51
-100
-67.61
-100
-100
-86.82
Figure 2. Evolution of the wound areas during the treatment. Wound 5 closed in August 2010; wound 4 in November 2010; and wound 2 in December 2011.
Figure 3. Images show the wounds in (a) August 2011, (b) December 2011, (c) June 2012, (d) December 2012, (e) April 2013, and (f) December 2013.
168
j
HIGH-FREQUENCY GENERATOR IN WOUND HEALING
The images were obtained only from
August 2011, when wounds 4 and 5 had
already closed. The conditions of skin and
wounds are illustrated in Fig. 3. In December 2013, the patient was discharged
from physiotherapy and was referred to
being assisted by a wound care team in a
public health service near his home. Until
this time (December 2013), there was no
sign of tumor recurrence or infection.
169
KEY FINDINGS
HFG contributes for the healing process of chronic wounds.
A long-term treatment was required and best results were found during
the first 18 months.
It is necessary to know more about the HFG on tissues harboring tumor,
but in the case presented there was neither tumor recurrence nor
infections.
DISCUSSION
MU represents a great challenge due to the impact
caused by the complications in postoperative scarring, as described in the case presented. Moreover, a
chronic wound may be evolved to recurrence, because of its association with MU.1,2 With these
characteristics wound management is hard and may
require more resources such as physiotherapy to
manage the patient and wound.6
HFG uses ozone as mechanism of action, which
has germicide, bactericide, and antiseptic properties
by stimulating the oxygen metabolism and activating the immune system.4,6–8 These effects were considered on the choice of a safe physical agent to apply
over the wounds that once already had cancer,7,9 and
furthermore, it helped in tissue repair, wound closure/reduction, and prevention of infections.4,6–8
The case report presented had percentage of reduction about 84% considering all wounds, 68% to
wound 3 and 56.41% to wound 1, which was similar
to Korelo et al.6 with 68.27%, but in our case a longterm treatment was necessary. This was probably
because our patient had a chronic wound even more
complicated by previous burn, surgeries, scar tissue,
and lymphostatic fibrosis, hindering the development of an appropriate wound healing cascade.
Moreover, the best results were seen during the first
18 months of treatment corroborating with Sousa
et al.4 who observed better effects of HFG in all
phases of tissue repair when compared to the control
group, and only in the initial phase when compared
with low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Maybe it would
be interesting to apply the HFG during the initial
steps of wound healing and then LLLT, but the use of
HFG was preferred to avoid tumor growth, as shown
with LLLT in the literature.9
HFG can be used as a promise tool in the tissue
repair of surgical wound after MU resection. However, further studies need to be carried out as a double
blind randomized controlled trials, using a sham
treatment with identical supporting physical therapy
and associated treatments, to determine HFG effects
and dose response to improve the outcome.
INNOVATION
HFG contributes on the tissue repair with reductions between 40% and 100% of chronic wounds
after MU resection.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AND FUNDING SOURCES
The authors would like to acknowledge the nurses and physiotherapy students who worked with
them on IBCC between 2010 and 2013. All authors
declare that there were no funding sources for this
study and they approved the final article.
AUTHOR DISCLOSURE
AND GHOSTWRITING
The content of this article was expressly written
by the authors listed. No ghostwriters were used to
write this article.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Pascale Mutti Tacani, MSc, is a physiotherapist and Coordinator of the First Postgraduate International Program of Physiotherapy in Oncology
in Mexico. Rogério Eduardo Tacani, MS, is a
physiotherapist and Coordinator of the Postgraduate
Program of Dermato-functional Physiotherapy in Sao
Paulo, Brazil. Aline Fernanda Perez Machado,
MSc, is a physiotherapist and specializes in Plastic
Surgery. She is a doctoral student and is a professor
at Paulista University, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Debora
Montezello, MBE, is a nurse specializing in Hospital Administration and is Professor of the Sao
Camilo University Center. João Carlos Guedes
Sampaio Góes, PhD, is a plastic surgeon and Director of IBCC and Sampaio Góes Clinic, both in Sao
Paulo, Brazil. Angela Gonçalves Marx, PhD, is a
physiotherapist and specializes in Oncology. She is
Director of Angela Marx Clinic in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
and creator of the LinfoterapiaÒ Method. Richard
Eloin Liebano, PhD, is a physiotherapist and PostDoctoral fellow in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Science at the University of Iowa and Professor of
the Postgraduate Program in Physiotherapy of the
Sao Carlos Federal University in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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TACANI ET AL.
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Abbreviations and Acronyms
HFG
IBCC
LLLT
MU
SCC
VAS
¼
¼
¼
¼
¼
¼
high-frequency generator
Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control;
low-level laser therapy
Marjolin’s ulcer
squamous cell carcinoma
visual analog scale