Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry of the Skin

The diagnosis of skin diseases relies greatly upon histological examination of excision or biopsy specimens. Immunohistochemical techniques performed on these specimens provides complementary, often decisive information allowing the identification of cells. The importance of this information varies depending on whether the diagnosis relies upon the architectural or structural features of the lesion or upon the presence of specific cells, identified by immunohistochemistry and/or electronmicroscopy. Detailed knowledge of the immunohistochemical and electron microscopic features of normal human skin is therefore a prerequisite to the diagnostic application of these techniques. Dermato(patho)logists nowadays greatly rely on the progress of immunohistochemistry, both at the light and electronmicroscopic level. Immunohistochemical techniques not only represent a major diagnostic tool, but they also substantially contribute to our understanding of the aetiopathogenisis of skin diseases. This book, compiled by an international panel of expert dermatologists represents a concise, yet comprehensive, compendium highlighting the diagnostic and pathogenetic contributions of immunohistochemistry in dermatology.