Follicular necrotic keratinocytes - a helpful clue to the diagnosis of measles.

A skin specimen taken from the exanthem of a 22-year-old man with measles infection was examined by light microscopy. The most characteristic changes were foci of multiple necrotic keratinocytes, partially confluent and partially isolated, strictly within follicles and sebaceous glands. Serial sections revealed occasional necrotic and none-necrotic syncytial-type multinucleated epithelial cells in some infundibula. Neither nuclear nor cytoplasmic viral inclusions were present.