Wound healing after radical vulvectomy and inguino-femoral lymphadenectomy: experience with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (filgrastim, r-metHuG-CSF).

After radical vulvectomy, infection and wound breakdown occurs in approximately 40-60% of patients resulting in significant morbidity and increased hospital stay. Wound breakdown is primarily due to infection of and tension on the wound. Post-operative defects in the immune system and neutrophil dysfunction may contribute to the high rate of this complication. To investigate this phenomenon in patients with a known high risk for postoperative infection, we studied the effect of filgrastim on primary or secondary wound healing (surgical wound breakdown)--per incisional side--in women requiring radical vulvectomy and inguino-femoral lymphadenectomy (RVIFL). The results were compared with a historical control group and indicate a reduction in the rate of surgical wound breakdown. Besides the clinical importance of decreasing the incidence of wound infection and tissue breakdown on patients quality of life, the benefits in terms of social-economic impact (days of hospitalization, post-operative nursing care health care budget) should also be taken into account.