Histopathological lesions in different types of skin aging.

OBJECTIVE Determination of histopathological changes in different types of skin aging. METHODS AND RESULTS The study included a group of 60 women with various types of skin aging. Three groups were distinguished, each group containing 20 individuals. Group I consisted of women with menopausal skin aging, Group II with photoaging, and Group III with chronological aging. Biopsy specimens were taken from the preauricular region for morphological examination. Signs of elastosis, inflammatory infiltrations, and collagenization were assessed. Elastosis was most often observed in Group II (in 80% of cases). Inflammatory infiltrations were observed in Group II in 75%, in Group III in 60%, and in Group I in 55% of patients. The largest collagenization lesions were found in photoaging. This phenomenon was observed in 90% of the women. Collagenization occurred in 55% of women in Groups I and III. CONCLUSIONS The morphological picture of photoaging is typical and consists of collagenization occurrence in the corium, more pronounced elastosis, and the presence of inflammatory infiltrations. There are no characteristic morphological differences between chronological and menopausal aging, in which lesions occur to a considerably lesser degree.