Pathology of the Integumentary System, Pt. 4 Flashcards
How do acantholytic cells compare to macrophages?
ACANTHOLYTIC: loss of coherence between epidermal cells due to the breakdown of intercellular bridges
MACROPHAGES: phagocytic vacuoles
What is the most common cause of intraepidermal vessicular/pustular dermatitis?
acantholysis - loss of cohesion between keratinocytes resulting in the breakdown of the intracellular bridges (desmosomes)
What are the 2 features of acantholysis?
- formation of clefts, vesicles, pustules
- acantholytic cells: keratinocytes that separate completely from their neighbors, become round, with a round nucleus and eosinophilic cytoplasm
How does intraepidermal vesicular/pustular dermatitis progress?
transient, vesicles/bullae and pustules —> erosions, crusts
What are 3 causes of acantholysis?
- Pemphigus foliaceous - antibodies against desmocolin-1 in the desmosomes
- bacteria - Staph. pseudintermedius releases exotoxins
- dermatophyte - fungi release proteolytic enzymes
How does pemphigus foliaceous, pemphigus vulgaris, and subepidermal blistering disease clefts compare?
PF: subcorneal
PV: suprabasal
SBD: subepidermal (subbasal)
What causes pemphigus foliaceus? What type of hypersensitivity is this?
production of autoantibodies against desmocolin-1
Type II —> Ab-mediated
How does pemphigus foliaceus present? In what dogs is it most common? What needs to be ruled out before diagnosis?
pustules, erosions, and crusting on the face (+nasal planum), ears, and paw pads
middle-ages dogs
infections by bacteria and dermatophytes (culture, treat, see if lesions disappear)
What is seen on cytology and histology in pemphigus foliaceous?
CYTO: numerous neutrophils with acantholytic cells
HISTO: superficial intraepidermal (subcorneal) pustular dermatitis with acantholytic cells
Feline pemphigus foliaceus:
How does pemphigus vulgaris present? What is its cause?
vesicles and bullae —-> erosions and ulcers in the oral cavity, mucocutaneous junctions, and skin
- most common in middle-aged dogs
production of an autoantibody against desmoglein-3
What is seen histologically in pemphigus vulgaris?
acantholysis with suprabasilar clefting that look like a row of tombstones
Why do the vesicles at different places in pemphigus foliaceus and vulgaris?
PF - DSC-1 is present in keratinocytes of canine footpad and interfollicular epidermis, but not detected in the buccal mucosa
PV - DSG-3 is restricted to the basal and lower stratum spinosum on the footpad, haired skin, and buccal mucosa
What allows for bacterial infections due to normal commensal organisms?
skin barrier damage or immune deficiency (usually Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in dogs - canine pyoderma)
What is impetigo? What is a major predisposing factor? What microorganism causes this?
puppy pyoderma with pustules not associated with hair follicles on the sparsely haired area like ventral abdomen, perineum
cutaneous abrasions, immunosuppression caused by a newly developing immune system
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
What is seen histologically in impetigo?
subcorneal pustules with bacteria +/- acantholysis
Impetigo, cytology:
What is dermatophytosis? How is it visualized histologically?
infection due to fungi, characterized by neutrophil accumulation and pustule formation
GMS silver stain that makes fungi stain black
What causes porcine exudative epidermitis?
(greasy pig disease)
Staphylococcus hyicus infection that produces exotoxins that causes intraepidermal cleavage and pustule/crust formation
What causes dermatophilosis? Where/in what animals is it most common?
(rain rot)
Dermatophilus congolensis
cattle, goats, sheep, and horses in hot and humid areas with heavy rainfall
What are 2 critical factors that can lead dermatophilosis? How does it prevent?
- skin trauma
- prolonged moisture
thick, yellow-brown keratinized crust on any area of the body
What are the 2 causes of subepidermal vesicular dermatitis?
(subepidermal blistering disease)
- congenital defect in structural proteins of BM zone and cytoskeleton of basal keratinocytes (epidermolysis bullosa)
- autoantibody targeting antigens of the BM protein (epidermolysis bullosa aquisita, bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid)