A new method for scanning electron microscopic visualization of dermal elastic fibres.

Autoclaving sections of dermis for 8 h followed by fixation, dehydration and xylol-air drying yields a pure preparation of elastic fibres for scanning electron microscopy which retains the native architecture of this component. Elastic fibres were intertwined in a complex fashion with numerous branches. Fibres were predominantly cylindrical in the upper dermis and became larger and more elliptical in the deeper dermis. This method produces a means to study of organization of elastic fibres in a variety of disorders in which dermal changes are prominent.