ANTIBODY DEPOSITS IN TZANCK SMEARS IN PEMPHIGUS-VULGARIS

Forty-three patients, including 24 males and 19 females between 5 and 62 years of age, having pemphigus vulgar's (27), pemphigus foliaceus ( 1), bullous pemphigoid (3), chronic benign bullous dermatosis of child hood (2) and herpes zoster (10) were included in this study. Tzanck sm ears were prepared from the floor of the blisters in these patients by deroofing the bullae, and the slides were stored without fixation at room temperature for 1 to 10 days. Immunofluorescence staining was don e with FITC-conjugated anti-human IgG. Twenty-one cases having pemphig us vulgaris and 1 case having pemphigus foliaceus showed bright green fluorescence on the membrane of acantholytic cells. No epithelial cell s were seen in smears from bullous pemphigoid and chronic benign bullo us dermatosis of childhood, whereas epithelial cells were seen in 10 c ases of herpes zoster. These stained negative with anti-IgG. Storage o f the prepared smears for 1-10 days did not seem to affect the results of immunofluorescence. Tzanck smears can be used as an easy substitut e for skin/mucosal biopsy for the direct immunofluorescence test.