Use Experience of New Skin Barriers Containing Ceramide

INTRODUCTION

 In the peristomal skin, the human skin barrier function is lowered due to the influences of disease, treatment, and long-term appliance adhesion.  Ceramide, intercellular lipids of stratum corneum, plays a major role in the human skin barrier function, which has important responsibilities in the protection and moisture retention of the skin.  We used a skin barrier containing ceramide for colostomy patient who receive chemotherapy and reported the improved the human skin barrier function of the peristomal skin.

CASE HISTORY
A 57-year-old male with rectal cancer received low anterior resection in June, 200X.  In the next year, the disease recurred, thus abdominoperineal resection was performed in July after radiation therapy.  Adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated in combination with FOLFOX-4/TS-1, FOLFIRI, BEVACIZUMAB, CETUXIMAB, CPT-11, etc., and now CETUXIMAB alone is continued.  After initiation of the chemotherapy, high pigmentation, itching, and hypertrophy of the corneum accompanied by maceration were observed in the peristomal skin , and rash, an adverse reaction of CETUXIMAB, was seen in the whole body.  After the use of the skin barriers containing  ceramide, no skin trouble occurred and transepidermal water loss(TEWL) was decreased as well as itching and pigmentation were alleviated.  Rash which occurred in the whole body was not observed in the peristomal skin .
CONCLUSION
  It can be concluded that ceramide improved the moisture-retention function and protective function against external irritation as well as human skin barrier function, resulting in preventing the appearances of itching and rash.