A systematic literature review of the management of chronic venous ulcers with autologous fibrin matrix with or without growth factors

Aim: To evaluate available evidence for the effective management of venous leg ulcers with fibrin matrix with or without growth factors.Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed to evaluate the use of fibrin matrices with or without growth factors for the management of chronic venous ulcers in lower limbs. Article searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, LILACS and ongoing clinical trials at ClinicalTrial.gov.Results: The search in MEDLINE and EMBASE identified three articles; one was a pilot study evaluating the use of fibrin matrix and autologous growth factors that included patients with chronic ulcers of different etiology. The second article was a description of the product used in the previous study, and the third consisted of a series case reports of patient treated with cultured keratinocytes in a fibrin matrix. A COCHRANE searched resulted in one study assessing the cost effectiveness of using different fibrin matrices. The search in ClinicalTrial.gov and LILACS did not result in any findings.Conclusion: The study did not provide a conclusive evidence for the use of fibrin matrices in patients with venous leg ulcers