A Study on the Tzanck Test of Vesicobullous Skin Diseases

Song, Hae Jun; Kim, Soo Nam

Abstract

For the more practical and convenient application of the Tzanck test, we evaluated several staining methods and cytological findings 98 cases of vesicobullous skin diseases. Fixation by air-drying of specimen aad modified Giemsa staining method were thought to be the most appropriate procedure in clinical use. The disease studied were chickenpox, herpes zoster & simplex, contact dermatitis, Id reaction, tinea pedis, urticaria pigmentosa, incontinentia pigmenti, farnilial benign pemphigus, hand-foot-mouth disease, erytherna multiforme, toxic epiderrzal necrolysis, fixed drug eruption, and septic vesicle. Among these, herpes and chickenpox vesicles shawed the most characteristic and specific findings. And degenerating giant cell could be added as an useful diagnostic marker for these diseases in relatively old lesions. In the other diseases, cytological findings were neither charcteristic nor specific. But these findings suggested the possibility of picking up useful findings by more elaborated study including more large number of cases.