title: Ultrastructural findings in the skin lesions of patients with anetoderma.
abstract: Eight biopsy specimens from the skin lesions of five patients with anetoderma were studied for their ultrastructural findings. In all of them, normal elastic fibers were absent and a few very thin, irregular elastic fibers with a more or less complete loss of the amorphous substance and a relative conservation of the microfibrils were observed. The collagen fibers were normal. Inflammation composed of macrophages and lymphocytes, with some plasma cells, was a prominent finding. It is suggested that anetoderma and acquired cutis laxa are part of the same spectrum of elastolytic disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003483:Cutis Laxa / Q000473:pathology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*