Neutrophilic Dermatoses
Abstract Neutrophils are essential inflammatory cells. In response to infection they accumulate rapidly at sites of infection or injury and become activated. These cells are packed with granules whose contents…
Pregnancy Dermatoses
Abstract The specific dermatoses of pregnancy represent a heterogeneous group of inflammatory skin diseases and include pemphigoid gestationis (PG), polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), and…
Structure and Function of Eccrine, Apocrine and Sebaceous Glands
Abstract Sweat and sebaceous glands have important roles in maintaining homoeostasis. In addition to their well-established role in thermoregulation, eccrine sweat glands have immunomodulatory, antimicrobial and excretory functions. Apocrine sweat…
Dermatoses Due to Plants
Abstract Plant constituents produce a variety of adverse cutaneous reactions, including a significant proportion of cases of allergic contact dermatitis. This chapter describes the small minority of plants that cause…
Occupational Dermatoses
Abstract Occupational dermatoses comprise any skin disease in which occupational exposure is a major causal or contributory factor. After psychological and musculoskeletal disorders, the skin is one of the most…
The Biology of the Basement Membrane
Abstract Basement membranes represent highly specialized matrices at the interface of cells and stroma. As adhesive units composed of intricately organized intracellular, transmembrane, and extracellular proteins, basement membranes provide tissues…
Drug Reactions
Abstract The skin is one of the most common targets for adverse drug reactions. Approximately 2% of all drug-induced skin reactions are considered “serious” based upon the World Health Organization…
Cutaneous Vasculitis
Abstract A diverse array of entities can present with cutaneous vasculitis, and the characteristic skin findings reflect the caliber of inflamed blood vessel – small, medium-sized, or large. While cutaneous…
Cutaneous Manifestations of Microvascular Occlusion Syndromes
Abstract Microvascular occlusion in the skin may have distinctively patterned lesions, such as retiform purpura, and is clinically important to recognize and distinguish from cutaneous vasculitis in order to determine…
