Table 1.
Study characteristics and histological methods of sample preparation and skin thickness measurement
| N | Authors | Sample of newborns | Methods of preparation | Layers analyzed | Method of measurements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith et al15 | Unspecified number of fetuses |
Biopsy dimensions: not reported. Fixation: immersed in 1/2 strength Karnovsky's fixative buffered in 0.1 mol/L cacodylate buffer and fixed for 2‐4 h. Samples were washed in buffer, and subsequently fixed in 1% OS04. Paraffin sections: 1 µm Coloration: Richardson, Jarrett, and Finke. |
Dermis |
Electron microscope and Philips 201 transmission electron microscope. Descriptive statistics of the values were not reported. |
| 2. | Fairley et al16 | 10 infants children < 3 mo of age (autopsy) |
Biopsy dimensions: not reported. Fixation: 10% buffered formalin. Paraffin sections: not reported. Coloration: HE. |
Stratum corneum |
Microscope with filar micrometer eyepiece calibrated for x10. Five measurements were made on each sample. Average with range values. |
| 3. | De Viragh et al17 |
7 alive newborns after 2 wk of age, under anesthesia |
Biopsy dimensions: not reported. Fixation: immediately after excision in Teller Nitzky solution (2% formaldehyde, 5% acetic acid, 65% ethanol) for exactly 24 h at room temperature. Paraffin sections: not reported Coloration: HE. |
Epiderm (without stratum corneum) Derm (without adventitial layer) |
Microscope with ocular micrometer. Minimum and maximum thickness for dermis and epidermis were measured. Average values with standard error, using regression analysis. |
| 4. | Kakasheva‐Mazhenkovska et al18 | Unspecified number of subjects. At least 10 samples of stillbirths at term gestation |
Biopsy dimensions: 0.5‐1 cm Fixation: 10% neutral formalin. Paraffin sections: 3‐5 µm Coloration: HE, Azan—Mallory, PAS, Floranten, Linder technique of impregnation with silver. |
Total epidermis Total skin Dermis |
Computer system: Lucia M, Version 3, System for Image Processing and Analysis. Average without range values. |
| 5. | Kakasheva‐Mazhenkovska et al19 | Unspecified number of subjects. At least 12 samples of stillbirths at term gestation |
Biopsy dimensions: 0.5 cm Fixation: not reported. Sections: not reported. Coloration: HE, Azan—Mallory, PAS, Floranten. |
Total epidermis Total dermis |
Computer system: Lucia M, Version 3, System for Image Processing and Analysis. Average without range values. |
| 6. | Khalfa et al10 |
5 fetuses with 6 mo of age. 15 stillbirths |
Biopsy dimensions: not reported. Fixation: optimum cutting temperature Freezing cryostat sections: 5 µm in −24°C. Coloration: HE. Scanning electron microscopy: Fixation: fresh tissues were embedded in glutaraldehyde and then processed with osmium tetroxide. Coloration: coated with gold |
Epidermis |
Scanning electron microscopy supported by software ImageJ. Average with range values. |
Abbreviations: HE, hematoxylin and eosin; PAS, periodic acid–Schiff.