Scanning electron microscopy of lichen sclerosus

Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia

Hiram Larangeira De Almeida Jr¹  Eduardo De Barros Coelho Bicca¹  Juliano De Avelar Breunig¹  Nara Moreira Rocha¹  Ricardo Marques E Silva¹ 

关键词: Collagen;    Collagen diseases;    Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus;    Microscopy;    electron;    scanning;    Skin diseases;    Colágeno;    Dermatopatias;    Doenças do colágeno;    Líquen escleroso e atrófico;    Microscopia eletrônica de varredura;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0365-05962013000200011

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Lichen sclerosus is an acquired inflammatory condition characterized by whitish fibrotic plaques, with a predilection for the genital skin. We performed scanning electron microscopy of the dermis from a lesion of lichen sclerosus. Normal collagen fibers could be easily found in deeper layers of the specimen, as well as the transition to pathologic area, which seems homogenized. With higher magnifications in this transitional area collagen fibers are adherent to each other, and with very high magnifications a pearl chain aspect became evident along the collagen fibers. In the superficial dermis this homogenization is even more evident, collagen fibers are packed together and round structures are also observed. Rupture of collagen fibers and inflammatory cells were not found. These autoimmune changes of the extracellular matrix lead to the aggregation of immune complexes and/or changed matrix proteins along the collagen fibers, the reason why they seem hyalinized when examined by light microscopy.

【 授权许可】

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