Doxorubicin-induced skin ulcer in the piglet.

Skin ulceration produced by inadvertently extravasated doxorubicin is characterized by a prolonged course accompanied by severe morbidity, and it has proven to be notoriously difficult to treat. In attempts to identify possible antidotes, 11 different pharmacologic agents were tested using piglets, because their skin is anatomically similar to that of man. Among the agents studied, topical application of DMSO daily for 7 days tended to decrease the maximal diameter and accelerate healing of skin ulcers produced by intradermal doxorubicin. alpha-Tocopherol appeared to worsen the ulceration. None of the 11 agents studied prevented the development of ulcerations completely.