Striae: morphological aspects of connective tissue.

The study of 15 abdominal striae in women aged 25 to 57 shows important histological modifications in the skin. The collagen is fragmented and the ground substance is abundant. Fibroblasts are globular, quiescent, and lose all signs of fibrillar secretion. In the light of the recent biochemical data, our results suggest that the striae are the consequence of fibroblastic dysfunction, due to abdominal distension. Comparison with scarred and normal skin indicate that striae are a special entity belonging to the group of connective dystrophies.