Pityriasis rubra pilaris: a clinico-pathological and therapeutic study with special reference to histochemistry, autoradiography, and electron microscopy.

Five patients with pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) were analyzed by means of light and electron microscopy as well as by histochemistry and autoradiography. The results were compared with findings in psoriasis vulgaris. In PRP we found a moderate increase of the labeling index of epidermal cells, a highly increased labeling index of dermal infiltrating cells, and a mild spongiosis, and in the stratum granulosum, a decreased number of tonofilaments and an increased number of keratinosomes. The horny layer in PRP showed a pronounced histochemical and electron microscopical parakeratosis, even when histological parakeratosis was absent. In contrast with psoriasis vulgaris, there was no exocytosis of polymorphonuclear leucocytes into the epidermis, the papillomatosis index was normal, and there were no tortuous capillaries in the dermal papillae. The stratum granulosum was always present and sometimes thickened, showing electron microscopical changes different from those referred to in psoriasis. These changes point to a relatively distinct pattern of epidermal changes in PRP.