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Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopic Studies of Lesional Epidermis in Herpes Zoster
Author(s) -
Tanaka Katsumi,
Tsuda Shingo,
Sasai Yoichiro
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1994.tb01794.x
Subject(s) - epidermis (zoology) , pathology , reticular connective tissue , intracellular , virus , ultrastructure , keratinocyte , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , anatomy , medicine , cell culture , genetics
The epidermal skin lesions of herpes zoster were studied by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When erythematous lesions were observed by TEM, many of the infected keratinocytes showed evidence of cell degeneration, being characterized by swollen nuclei, disappearance of desmosomes, and widening of intercellular spaces. Macrophages and/or lymphocytes migrated through the intercellular spaces between degenerated keratinocytes. In the vesicular lesions, SEM and TEM showed some infiltrating neutrophils, directly adhering to the virus‐infected keratinocytes, with swollen nuclei and irregularly clumped chromatin. In some specimens, balloon‐degenerated keratinocytes were observed in the cavity. In the pustular stage, ruptured keratinocytes and numerous neutrophils were observed in the reticular‐degenerated epidermal tissue. These results suggest that, in herpes zoster, the epidermal damage may be due, at least in part, to cell‐mediated host immunity as well as to the cytopathic effect of varicella‐zoster virus.