EOSINOPHILIC AND NEUTROPHILIC SPONGIOSIS - CLUES TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF IMMUNOBULLOUS DISEASES AND OTHER INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS

When eosinophils or neutrophils are found within the epidermis in conc ert with edema, the pattern is known as eosinophilic or neutrophilic s pongiosis. Although eosinophilic spongiosis has been accepted as a clu e to the diagnosis of blistering disorders for some time, the fact tha t either pattern can serve as a clue to the diagnosis of a variety of disorders, including immunobullous diseases, is less widely known. Her ein, we review the types of inflammatory skin diseases, including spon giotic dermatitides, subepidermal vesicular dermatitides, intraepiderm al vesicular dermatitides, and perivascular or diffuse dermatitides, t hat display intraepidermal eosinophils and neutrophils. We also review the known mechanisms that explain in part why intraepidermal granuloc ytes are commonly found in this diverse group of skin diseases. Copyri ght (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company.