Histo Characteristic Patterns Flashcards
Follicular plugging
Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP), lichen planopilaris (LPP), lichen sclerosus, lupus erythematosus (LE), perforating folliculitis
Cornoid lamella
Porokeratosis
Compact parakeratosis with retained KHG
Axillary granular parakeratosis
‘Checkerboard’ and ‘shoulder’ parakeratosis
PRP
Mounds of parakeratosis
Psoriasis
Focal parakeratosis
Guttate psoriasis, pityriasis rosea, pityriasis lichenoides
Confluent parakeratosis
Psoriasis, Bowen’s disease, necrolytic migratory erythema (NEM) in glucagonoma syndrome
Columns of parakeratosis
Verruca vulgaris (VV), porokeratosis
Alternating parakeratosis
Actinic keratosis (AK)
Sandwich parakeratosis
Tinea
Confluent hyperkeratosis
Lichen planus (LP)
Massive orthokeratosis
Acquired digital fibrokeratoma
‘Church spire’ papillomatosis
Acrokeratosis verruciformis
Papillomatosis
Acanthosis nigricans, VV, seborrheic keratosis (SK), acrochordon
Neutrophils in crust
Candidiasis, psoriasis, impetigo, tinea, syphilis
Munro microabscess in cornified layer
Psoriasis (plate-like neutrophils in multilayered scale)
‘Claw’ (epidermis) clutching a ‘ball’ (dermis)
Lichen nitidus
Epidermal necrosis
Herpes simplex (HSV) infection, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme (EM), NEM, hydroa vacciniforme, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), acute fixed drug reaction (FDE)
Atrophic epidermis
Porokeratosis, atrophic AK, radiation dermatitis, lichen sclerosus, LE, dermatomyositis, poikiloderma, necrobiosis lipoidica, GVHD
Upper pallor with normal- appearing lower epidermis
NEM, +/- acrodermatitis enteropathica
Windblown appearance
Bowen’s disease
Subcorneal/intragranular split with acantholytic cells (cling on)
Pemphigus foliaceous (sometimes can look like impetigo if neutrophils within blister cavity)
Eosinophilic spongiosis (hAPPIE)
Arthropod bite, pemphigoid, pemphigus, incontinentia pigmenti (IP), eruption (drug), contact dermatitis
Foam cells in epidermis
Balloon cell nevus
Dyskeratotic or necrotic keratinocytes
EM, pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA), paraneoplastic pemphigus, acrodermatitis enteropathica, acute FDE, IP, NEM, GVHD, radiation dermatitis
Vacuolated keratinocytes (‘empty shells’)
Tissue processing artifact, freezing artifact, epidermolytic hyperkeratosis
Elongated keratinocytes
Electrodessication artifact
Acantholytic cells
Darier’s disease, Hailey-Hailey disease, HSV infection, transient acantholytic dermatosis (Grover’s disease), pemphigus (acantholysis involves hair follicles), warty dyskeratoma, acantholytic SCC or AK
Koilocytes
HPV infection
Multinucleated keratinocytes
HSV (steel gray nuclei)
Epidermotropic lymphocytes
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)
Pagetoid cells
Bowen’s disease, melanoma, recurrent nevus, Paget’s disease, CTCL, lymphomatoid papulomatosis (LyP), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH)
Dilapidated brick wall
Hailey-Hailey disease
Pautrier microabscesses
CTCL
Tombstoning of basal cells
Pemphigus vulgaris
Clumped keratohyaline granules (KHG)
Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, verruca (HPV infection)
Squamous eddies
Irritated seborrheic keratosis (SK), inverted follicular keratosis (IFK), SCC, trichoblastoma
Horn pseudocysts
SK, IFK, trichoepithelioma, microcystic adnexal carcinoma
Basilar hyperpigmentation
Dermatofibroma, SK, acanthosis nigricans
Flattened (tabled) rete ridges
Dermatofibroma
‘Saw-toothed’ rete ridges
LP
Vacuolar interface change
LE, LP, GVHD, dermatomyositis, acute FDE, lichen nitidus, erythema dyschromicum perstans (ashy dermatosis), lichenoid keratosis, lichen sclerosus, EM, PLEVA
Thick basement membrane
LE
Grenz zone
Lepromatous leprosy, granuloma faciale, lymphocytoma cutis (bottom heavy), leukemia cutis (top heavy)
Subtle amorphous pink deposits in papillary dermis
Macular amyloidosis
Band-like lymphocytic infiltrate
LP, EM, lichen sclerosus, benign lichenoid keratosis, lichen striatus, halo nevus
Upper dermal edema
Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE), Sweet’s syndrome, lichen sclerosus, langerhans cell histiocytosis
Melanin incontinence
Macular amyloidosis, LE, atrophic LP, ashy dermatosis, FDE, dermatomyositis, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, +/- IP
Subepidermal split with prominent eosinophils
Bullous pemphigoid, pemphigoid gestationis, bullous drug eruption
Subepidermal split with prominent neutrophils
Dermatitis herpetiformis, bullous SLE, linear IgA bullous disease (LABD)
Neutrophils in dermal papillae
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Subepidermal split with prominent lymphocytes
Bullous LP, PMLE, lichen sclerosus
Subepidermal vesicles with scant inflammation
Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT)
Subepidermal vesicles with mast cells
Bullous mastocytosis
Fibrous stroma
Syringoma, trichoepithelioma, morpheaform BCC, microcystic adnexal carcinoma
‘Bubble gum’ pink stroma
Neurofibroma
Lymphocytes around sweat glands
Lichen striatus
Sweat glands with neutrophils
Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis
Necrosis of sweat glands
Coma blister
Invaginated pilosebaceous unit with dark-staining ducts
Supernumerary nipple
Extravasated red blood cells
Pityriasis rosea, PLEVA, stasis dermatitis, pigmented purpuric dermatoses, vascular neoplasms, vasculitis, granuloma faciale (GF)