title: Microscopic analysis of epidermal melanocytes in human abdominal skin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microscopic analysis of epidermal melanocytes in human abdominal skin with respect to age and sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Anatomy. BMSI, JPMC, Karachi. About one year in 1998.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demonstration of epidermal melanocytes in 5mm thick vertical paraffin embedded sections of thirty-eight skin samples from different age and sex groups, using dihydroxyphenyl alanine (Dopa) reagent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The melanocytes count per unit area of skin was significantly higher in the younger than older age groups. No significant difference was noticed between males and females epidermal melanocytes counts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distribution of epidermal melanocytes was inversely proportional to the advancing age. However, there was no significant gender differences in the distribution of epidermal melanocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Dow Medical College, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ilyas Saleh
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Muhammad Zahoor
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Janjua
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010154:Pakistan; D010784:Photomicrography / Q000379:methods; D012737:Sex Factors