Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus (VLS) is a chronically inflammatory disorder that requires early diagnosis and long-term follow-up for successful therapy prevention of malignancy. In this paper, we propose multimodal optical coherence tomography (MM OCT) as non-invasive diagnostic technique advanced VLS. The MM OCT provides 3D real-time visualization the vulvar skin structure with high spatial resoluti...

A new type of extracellular fibril is described in the dermis of Bufo marinus, Rana pipiens, and Amblystoma punctatum. It is restricted in distribution to the dermal micropapillae and the region immediately below them in the stratum spongiosum. The fibrils (diameter = 200 to 750 A) are lateral aggregates of fine filaments and have a unique banding pattern characterized by absence of recognizabl...

ing showed preservation of the epidermis and a thickened dermis with no adnexal structures, occupied by an accumulation of dense collagenous fibers distributed in an irregular manner (Fig. 3A). In the second specimen, hematoxylineosin staining revealed vascular dilation with irregular and perivascular fibrosis in the dermis, as well as multinucleated giant cells with a stellate appearance (Fig....

We have previously shown that overall growth of the myotome in the mediolateral direction occurs in a coherent and uniform pattern. We asked whether development of the dermomyotome and resultant dermis follow a similar pattern or are, alternatively, controlled by restricted pools of stem cells driving directional growth. To this end, we studied cellular events that govern dermomyotome developme...

The dermis of the body wall of sea cucumbers is composed mainly of extracellular materials such as collagens, proteoglycans and water; the water content is as high as 80%. Yet it shows rapid changes in stiffness under neural control. The dermis has been proposed to assume three mechanical states, soft, standard, and stiff. We investigated the relationship between the stiffness and the dermal ma...

Focal adhesions are specific types of cellular adhesion structures through which both mechanical force and regulatory signals are transmitted. Recently, the existence of focal adhesions in 3D environment has been questioned. Using a unique life-like model of dermis-based matrix we analysed the presence of focal adhesions in a complex 3...

Increased dermal mucin is a feature of lupus erythematosus (LE); however, its amount and distribution have not been well characterized. The differentiation of LE from other forms of dermatitis can be challenging when other features of LE are subtle or equivocal. One hundred and thirty-five skin specimens showing LE, graft vs. host disease, erythema multiforme/fixed drug eruption, lichen planus,...

INTRODUCTION Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common inflammatory disease with a wide range of clinical forms. Its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated although it is known to be mediated by lymphocytes with the participation of cytokines and other inflammatory cells, including type I and type II dermal dendrocytes (DD) (factor XIIIa+ DD and CD34+ DD, respectively). OBJECTIVES T...

Hobnail hemangioma is a small, solitary, benign vascular tumor that shows a biphasic histological pattern of dilated vascular spaces in the superficial dermis and narrow vascular structures in the deeper dermis. In the superficial dermis, dilated, irregular, thin-walled vascular spaces are lined by plump endothelial cells with large nuclei which protrude into the lumina like hobnails. A 43-year...

Multicellular glands in the amphibian integument represent a signifi cant evolutionary advance over those of fi shes. Bufonids have parotoid glands, symmetrically disposed in a post-orbital position. Their secretion may contribute to protection against predators and parasites. This study provides a re-evaluation of the morphology of the Bufo ictericus parotoid glands. The parotoid gland integum...