Measurement of epidermal thickness in a patient with psoriasis by computer-supported image analysis

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to measure full epidermal thickness, stratum corneum thickness, rete length, dermal papilla widening and suprapapillary epidermal thickness in psoriasis patients using a light microscope and computer-supported image analysis. The data obtained were analyzed in terms of patient age, type of psoriasis, total body surface area involvement, scalp and nail involvement, duration of psoriasis, and family history of the disease. The study was conducted on 64 patients and 57 controls whose skin biopsies were examined by light microscopy. The acquired microscopic images were transferred to a computer and measurements were made using image analysis. The skin biopsies, taken from different body areas, were examined for different parameters such as epidermal, corneal and suprapapillary epidermal thickness. The most prominent increase in thickness was detected in the palmar region. Corneal thickness was more pronounced in patients with scalp involvement than in patients without scalp involvement (t = -2.651, P = 0.008). The most prominent increase in rete length was observed in the knees (median: 491 µm, t = 10.117, P = 0.000). The difference in rete length between patients with a positive and a negative family history was significant (t = -3.334, P = 0.03), being 27% greater in psoriasis patients without a family history. The differences in dermal papilla distances among patients were very small. We conclude that microscope-supported thickness measurements provide objective results.

Increased Activity and Number of Epidermal Melanocytes in Lesional Psoriatic Skin

“…The psoriatic epidermis is almost 3.8-fold thicker than the corresponding normal non-psoriatic epidermis [14,15] and contains melanocytes, which exhibit a 2-fold stronger labelling with Melan A. Interestingly, we found a 1.5- to 3-fold increase in epidermal melanocyte number based on the results with all used MoAbs in comparison with the corresponding non-psoriatic epidermis and healthy skin. The numbers of counted melanocytes in healthy and non-lesional psoriasis specimens were in the same range as previously reported, which lends credibility to the computer image analysis-assisted counting method applied in this study [16].…”

Comparative study of histopathological and immunohistochemical findings in skin biopsies from patients with psoriasis before and after treatment with acitretin

“…Second, ‘thin’ suprapapillary plate is a histological characteristic of psoriasis emphasized in several texts 42–45 but we did not find a significant difference in that measure before and after treatment with acitretin. Alper et al 46 found similar results when comparing 64 skin biopsies from patients with psoriasis to 56 skin biopsies from healthy individuals. We found a higher epidermal/suprapapillary thickness ratio before than after therapy, though.…”

Optical coherence tomography angiography of normal skin and inflammatory dermatologic conditions

“…Increased vascular density that follows the topology of the plaque is seen in (A), which then subsides as the plaque resolves in (J). Figure 3E and F show epidermal thickening within the active plaque, correlating with the increase of vascular density, and epidermal acanthosis seen histologically [30,31]. Epidermal thickness outside the plaque remains unchanged.…”