Dermal vacuoles in two biopsies of psoriasis

Abstract

Two patients presented with cutaneous lesions clinically typical of psoriasis. The first case was a 38-year-old man and the second was a 51-year-old woman. To confirm the diagnosis, 4-mm punch biopsy samples were obtained from both patients from the lesions on the knees. Histology in both cases was in favour of psoriasis and also revealed empty vacuoles in the papillary dermis, concentrated at sites of intense lymphocyte infiltration. The empty vacuoles resembled true fat cells or fat globules. They did not reveal positive immunostaining with CD34 antigen, suggesting that they were not lined by endothelial cells. Final histological diagnosis was psoriasis associated with dermal vacuolization.