Cutaneous cytology

Abstract

Cutaneous cytology is the study of scrapings or smears obtained from lesions of the skin. Although not commonly employed, cutaneous cytology has become a useful tool for clinicians due to the development of simplified procedures and staining technics. This review describes basic principles and illustrates the usefulness of cutaneous cytology in studying selected vesiculobullous and pustular dermatoses, neoplasms, superficial fungal infections, and miscellaneous applicable disorders. Sophisticated diagnostic tumor cytology and new methodology, such as immunohistochemistry and intricate morphometric analyses, are also briefly discussed.