A Histopathologic Study of Connective Tissue Diseases of Skin

Cutaneous involvement is a prominent feature in connective tissue disease and the skin lesions are extremely important in diagnosing and subclassifying patients with these conditions. Fifty cases of connective tissue diseases of skin were studied over a period of two years to analyze overlapping of histopathological features, possible transformation of one disease to the other and co-existing conditions. Routine Haematoxyline and Eosin (H&E) sections were studied along with special stains like Periodic Acid Schiff(PAS) and Verhoeff Vangiesson (VVG) wherever necessary. Fifty cases studied included 18 morphea, 9 systemic sclerosis (SS), 9 discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), 7 acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ACLE), 4 subacute lupus erythematosus (SCLE), 2 lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSet A) and 1 case of poikiloderma atrophicans vasculare (PAV). Considerable overlapping of features were observed among skin lesions in acute, subacute and chronic lesions of lupus erythematosus and in cutaneous lesions of systemic sclerosis and morphea. In conclusion, as there is a considerable overlapping of histopathologic features in connective tissue diseases of skin, often it is necessary to use other diagnostic tools like serological and immunological study in conjunction with histopathology with the background of clinical history for a conclusive diagnosis.