Desmosomes in pemphigus vegetans.

Desmosomes of a patient suffering from pemphigus vegetans were studied by electron microscopy and analysed by morphometry, The desmosomes were fewer in the patient's skin than in healthy individuals. The desmosomes of the patient were thin and short, showing pathological ultrastructures, viz. lack of median lines, single-sided attachment plaques and direct cell contact with some thickened cell membranes. These desmosomal changes were more manifest in the involved than in the uninvolved skin. The changes suggest deterioration or defective formation of desmosomes in pemphigus vegetans.