Clinical application of Chambo tilapia fish skin xenograft for skin tissue regeneration: A case report in a partial-thickness burns pediatric patient

WHO reports that burns account for more than 180,000 deaths annually with the majority of cases coming from low and middle-income countries due to limited resources in the management of burns. Currently, burns are being treated using silver sulphadiazine and gauze dressings, but this method has demonstrated to have some shortfalls. Alternative methods are being researched to find a better treatment modality with a faster healing duration. This case report describes the novel application of Chambo tilapia ( Oreochromis lidole ) fish skin xenograft in the treatment of partial thickness burns in a patient. The research was conducted on a 5-year-old female patient with 8% TBSA second degree burns. After extraction, the fish skin was sterilized using ultraviolet radiation before it was applied to the burn wound. After application, it was observed that there was a strong adherence of the fish skin to the wound bed. The results showed a rapid healing process with complete re-epithelialization of the skin tissue being reported 12 days post application of the xenograft. Absence of a scar on the healed skin was also reported. This clearly demonstrates the great potential that Chambo tilapia fish skin xenograft has in burn wound treatment applications. Data is available upon request due to ethical restrictions.