There is conflicting evidence in the literature as to whether cutaneous nerves are altered in psoriasis or not. In this study, antibodies to protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 were used to visualize cutaneous nerves in biopsies from involved and uninvolved skin of nine patients with psoriasis and from normal skin of eight healthy controls. A profound reduction in the epidermal nerve fibre density was observed in the involved psoriatic skin. These intraepidermal nerve fibres were also mostly short and found in the basal layer. Only a few nerve fibres were found in the suprabasal layer and they were non-varicose, long fibres going straight up without branching. In the uninvolved skin of psoriatic patients, the distribution and number of the intraepidermal nerve fibres was similar to that observed in normal skin. In the dermis, the distribution and the number of the nerve fibres showed no differences between involved psoriatic skin, uninvolved psoriatic skin, and normal skin. The results support previous studies in which alterations of cutaneous nerves in psoriasis have been described.

In the present study, facial skin from so-called "screen dermatitis" patients were compared with corresponding material from normal healthy volunteers. The aim of the study was to evaluate possible markers to be used for future double-blind or blind provocation investigations. Differences were found for the biological markers calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), somatostatin (SOM), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), peptide histidine isoleucine amide (PHI), neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY), protein S-100 (S-100), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). The overall impression in the blind-coded material was such that it turned out easy to blindly separate the two groups from each other. However, no single marker was 100% able to pin-point the difference, although some were quite powerful in doing so (CGRP, SOM, S-100). However, it has to be pointed out that we cannot, based upon the present results, draw any definitive conclusions about the cause of the changes observed. Whether this is due to electric or magnetic fields, a surrounding airborne chemical, humidity, heating, stress factors, or something else, still remains an open question. Blind or double-blind provocations in a controlled environment are necessary to elucidate possible underlying causes for the changes reported in this investigation.

Herein, we report the histopathology of angiokeratoma characterised by non-invasive, proliferative, ectatic vascular malformations accompanying lysosomal dilation in the canine skin. Two cutaneous angiokeratomas were diagnosed in a six-year-old spayed female Pekinese dog. Physical examination of the skin revealed two small erythematous papules on the axillary and abdominal regions. The masses were approximately 2-3 mm in diameter, well-circumscribed, purple to red in colour, and slightly elevated above the skin surface. The two small masses had similar histopathological features, characterised by exophytic proliferation of a mixture of multiple vascular channels resembling a cavernous haemangioma on the superficial dermis. The entire lesion was well circumscribed and the overlying epidermal hyperplasia formed a collarette. Ultrastructural analysis with transmission electron microscopy revealed electron-lucent lysosomal dilatation in the keratinocytes of the irregular hyperplastic epithelial trabeculae like rete pegs.

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