TZANCK SMEAR: A USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN SPECTRUM OF VESICULOBULLOUS DISEASES OF SKIN.

Abstract

Introduction: The pemphigus group of autoimmune bullous disorders and mucocutaneous herpesvirus infections are generally diagnosed with the Tzanck smear. Only a few research have looked into its diagnostic value in the literature. To evaluate tzanck smear ndings in patients Objectives: with vesiculobullous skin lesions and histopathological correlation. All recei Material and Methods: ved Samples received between 01/08/2021 to 31/01/2022 were stained with May-Grunwald-Giemsa. In some patients, methylene blue staining and ZN staining were done. Tzanck Results: smear was performed on a total of 25 patients with skin lesions. The sensitivities of multinucleated giant cells and acantholytic cells in herpetic infections, dyskeratotic acantholytic cells,inammatory cells and cocci in bullous impetigo, acantholytic cells with neutrophils and lymphocytes in pemphigus foliaceous, acantholytic cells and plenty of neutrophils in drug-induced pemphigus, no acantholytic cells with neutrophils and lymphocytes in IgA pemphigus, cluster of acantholytic cells in pemphigus vulgaris, only lymphocytes with no acantholytic cells in bullous pemphigoid and dyskeratotic acantholytic cells without inammation in staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, intracytoplasmic HendersonPatterson bodies and anucleated squamous cells in molluscum contagiosum and broblast, leucocytes with necrotic basal cells in Toxic epidermal necrolysis. The tzanck smear test is an inexpensive, useful, quick, reliable Conclusion: and an easy diagnostic tool for certain vesiculobullous skin diseases.