Miniaturization of Sebaceous Glands: A Novel Histopathological Finding in Pemphigus Vulgaris and Pemphigus Foliaceus of the Scalp

In the 2017 study of 32 patients with scalp involvement in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF), a significant finding was the miniaturization of sebaceous glands, observed in 82.4% of PV patients and 80.0% of PF patients. The study also found that acantholysis, a separation of cells within the hair follicle, was common in both conditions, occurring in 88% of PV and 80% of PF specimens. This acantholysis varied in depth between PV and PF, which could assist in their differentiation. The presence of acantholysis in sebaceous and sweat glands may also have diagnostic value. The study suggests that sebaceous gland miniaturization could impair healing and contribute to the chronic nature of pemphigus, and it raises the question of whether this feature is specific to pemphigus or related to androgenetic alopecia. Further research is needed to explore this question. The document does not provide specific patient numbers or statistical significance for all findings, but the described histopathological features are considered important for differential diagnosis.