[Histopathological and immunohistochemical study of the ocular cicatricial pemphigoid].
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between the histopathological alterations and the clinical severity grade in the first phases of the ocular cicatricial pemphigoid to facilitate early diagnosis of the disease and initiate treatment as early as possible.


METHODS
We have studied 10 patients with different clinical grades of severity (3 patients with grade I; 4 patients with grade II; 2 patients with grade III, and 1 patient with grade IV). For these patients, full ophthalmologic examinations were performed [clinical, laboratory tests, impression cytology, ultrastructural study, study of direct (IFd) and indirect immunofluorescence (IFi).


RESULTS
The different techniques used have enabled us to observe the diminution of goblet cells, the initiation of subepithelial bullae, separation of epithelial basement membrane, increase and disorganization of collagen fibers, increase in the number of desmosomes, decrease in the number of hemidesmosones, increase in the intraepithelial fibrillar materials and the presence of immunoglobulin deposits and complement in the basement membrane of these patients in the early phases of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The techniques used in this study have enabled us to make an earlier diagnosis of the disease, since it manifests the eye dryness immediately and the posterior biopsy can confirm the differential diagnosis.
Sanz
A I
AI
Unidad del Ojo Seco del Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid.
Rivas
L
L
Shalaby
O
O
Oroza
M A
MA
Pérez-Esteban
A
A
Murube
J
J
D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010390:Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*