Abstract
The skin can develop vesicles and bullae as a result of diverse causes through mechanisms affecting different levels of the epidermis and dermis1. Histological diagnosis of bullous skin disorders requires attention to several key points. These include:
-
(1)
The presence or absence of an inflammatory cell infiltrate, its predominant cell type and the distribution of the inflammatory cells within the dermis.
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(2)
The type of changes in the epidermis (spongiosis, acantholysis, balloon degeneration, individual cell death or widespread necrosis, pustule formation, and the presence or absence of exocytosis).
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(3)
The level of separation or clefting which may be subcorneal, in the prickle cell layer, suprabasally or subepidermally in the papillary dermis.
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© 1986 R. Marks, A. Knight and P. Laidler
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Marks, R., Knight, A., Laidler, P. (1986). Bullous and Vesicular Skin Disorders. In: Atlas of Skin Pathology. Current Histopathology, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4127-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4127-4_6
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