With this technique, a sterile scalpel blade is held at right angles to the skin and firmly dragged across the skin surface several times, scraping away the top layers of skin cells.
The material that accumulates on the scalpel blade is spread thinly on a glass slide..
Eosinophils produce numerous cytokines and mediators to kill microorganisms and attract other cells, such as mast cells.
These cells are also phagocytic and are capable of ingesting bacteria and fungi.
Finding eosinophils on skin cytology suggests the presence of parasites, fungi, or food allergies..
Melanin granules are commonly mistaken for bacteria and are normally seen on pigmented areas of the skin.
They are golden to brown in color and mostly rod-shaped; they have a refractive/reflective quality when going in and out of fine focus (Figure 13)..
Acantholytic cells are small, dark, round keratinocytes of the basal or spinous layer, which detach from the surrounding cells due to the rupture of intercellular bridges.
A few acantholytic cells are sometimes observed in pustules due to bacterial infections..
Cocci are round, basophilic bacteria found individually, in clusters, or in large groups (Figure 10).
If intracellular cocci are found, a true infection is present.
Rods are often found individually or in sets of 2 placed end to end, called diploid rods (Figure 12)..
Cutaneous cytology is the study of scrapings or smears obtained from lesions of the skin.
Although not commonly employed, cutaneous cytology has become a useful tool for clinicians due to the development of simplified procedures and staining technics..
Taken together, we describe a method for isolation and culturing of primary human keratinocytes from adult skin.
Because the keratinocytes are the predominant cell type in the epidermis, this method is useful to study molecular mechanisms in cutaneous biology in vitro.
Micrograph of keratinocytes, basal cells and melanocytes in the epidermis Keratinocytes are the primary type of cell found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin.
In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells. Basal cells in the basal layer ( stratum basale) of the skin are sometimes referred to as basal keratinocytes.
Keratinocytes are the most common type of skin cells.
They make keratin, a protein that provides strength to skin, hair, and nails.
These cells form in the deep basal-cell layer of the skin, and take about a month to reach the surface.
It is normal for many of these cells to die off in the process.
Fair skin, immunosuppression, and human papillomavirus are associated with increased risk of keratinocyte carcinoma.
Actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease are premalignant neoplasms, which can transform to squamous cell carcinoma.
Keratoacanthoma is rapidly growing tumor on the sun-exposed skin.
