Histopathologic characteristics of common inflammatory skin disorders

Histopathology is integral to the accurate diagnosis of skin diseases. Nonneoplastic 'inflammatory' skin diseases manifest relatively few histologic patterns that may be a source of confusion for the histopathologist. It is important to know the histopathologic reaction patterns that these diseases exhibit and to have a sound, fundamental approach that can be used to arrive at accurate, specific diagnoses. In this article, the histopathologic findings of the most commonly encountered inflammatory diseases of the skin are reviewed, with special emphasis on pattern recognition and clinical correlation.