Pathology of Integumentary System - Part 4 Flashcards
What can be seen here?
Vesicles are filled with pus, that is why we call this Intraepidermal vesicular/pustular dermatitis.
Vesicle is formed because of a phenomeon called acantholysis.
What is the most common cause of Intraepidermal vesicular/pustular dermatitis?
Most common cause: Acantholysis
What is acantholysis?
Loss of cohesion between keratinocytes
resulting from a breakdown of the intercellular
bridges (desmosomes).
What is the difference between acantholytic cells and acanthocytes?
Acantholytic cells: keratinocytes which separate
completely from their neighbors, become round, with
a round nucleus and eosinophilic cytoplasm
Acanthocytes are a type of RBC with irregularly shaped spikes. Formed due to a defect in the lipid content on the cell membrane.
What are the major features of acantholysis?
Formation of clefts, vesicles, pustules
Large vesicle is a pustule filled with lots of neutrohpils and the individual keratinocytes are acantholytic cells.
What do you see clinically with intrapeidermal vesicular/pustular dermatitis?
- Transient: Vesicles (smaller)/bullae (larger) –> progresses to pustules
- Progress to erosions and crusts
intrapeidermal vesicular/pustular dermatitis
Eventually forms crusties
What are the causes of acantholysis?
- Pemphigus foliaceus
* Due to autoantibodies against desmocollin-1 - Bacteria (S. pseudintermedius)
* Due to the release of bacterial exotoxins. Toxins cleave desmosomal protein.
* This is the major cause of canine pyoderma - Dermatophyte
* Due to the release of proteolytic enzymes. Fungi will release proteolytic enzymes which also cleaves desmosomal proteins.
What can be seen here?
Desmocolene 1 is located in the superifical layer of the epidermis so that is why you see a vesicle intraepidermally.
What can be seen here?
Protein in lower layer of epidermis
What can be seen here?
Basement membrane contains manny tine structures in this zone. Whenever one of the proteins is defected, you will see vesicles in the BM zone.
Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) affects what age range of dogs?
Middle-aged dogs
Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is a condition in which autoantibodies are formed against _________-__ (_____;
in _____)
* Which type of hypersensitivity?
desmocollin-1, DSC1, dogs
Type II
What do you see clinically with a case of Pemphigus foliaceus?
*Pustules, erosions, crusting
* Face (including nasal planum), ears, paw pads
What do you see histologically with a case of Pemphigus foliaceus?
- Numerous neutrophils with acantholytic cells on
cytological examination. When you do cytology, and see acanthlytic cells in very large numbers, this is probably PF so biopsy and send to pathologist to confirm.
In cases of Pemphigus foliaceus, you need to?
- Need to rule out infections by bacteria and dermatophyte.
- Biopsy is the only way you can confirm this diagnosis.
Rule out bacterial/other cause by culture the surface, submit crust for culture of aerobic bacteria dna submit for dermatophyte cultures, if you get positive results treat for those infections first. If still have lesions, want to investigate further to see if have PF.
What can be seen here?
Pemphigus foliaceus
What can be seen here?
Pemphigus foliaceus
What can be seen here?
Same cell, different stain on the left.
Slide on left is stained with Giemmsa stain
What can be seen here?
Crust on face, ears.
PF in cats
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV)
1. This is a disease of what dog age range?
2. Clinically what do you see?
3. What is the pathogensis of this disease?
4. Histologically what do you see?
- Middle-aged dogs
- Vesicles and bullae → erosions and ulcers
* Check Oral cavity, mucocutaneous junctions, skin
- Vesicles and bullae → erosions and ulcers
- *Autoantibody against desmoglein-3 (DSG3) = expressed in buccal mucosa which is why you will see lesions in oral cavity.
- Acantholysis with suprabasilar clefting (row of
tombstones)
- Acantholysis with suprabasilar clefting (row of
What can be seen here?
PV
What can be seen here?
PV