Interface dermatitis-Clinicopathologic Spectrum

• Author Details:   
• B.G. Malathi
• Jasneet Kaur Sandhu

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Introduction: Interface dermatitis (ID) includes numerous skin dermatoses which have in common salient histopathological features but varied clinical presentation that have traditionally been referred to as the lichenoid tissue reaction/ID. The primary morphologic change is noted at the dermoepidermal junction with secondary susequent changes in the epidermis.  The prototypic skin disease in this category is lichen planus (LP) and its variants. Several other inflammatory, infective and neoplastic conditions may show interface change.
Aim: The present study was planned to correlate the significance of Interface dermatitis with their clinico-pathological aspects.
Methodology: The material for the present retrospective study consisted of skin biopsy samples received from the outpatient department of dermatology. The study was done for a period of six years from 2009 to 2015.
Results: In the present study, a total of 54 cases were analysed which clinically presented as papulosquamous disorders. Majority of the cases were seen in women. On histopathological diagnosis majority were LP and its variants. The most consistent histolopathological feature noted was basal cell vacuolar degeneration in the epidermis along with a band of lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate and pigment incontinence in the dermis. Clinicopathologic concordance was seen in 45 cases (83.33%) and discordance in 8 cases (14.81%).
Conclusion: Thus, combination of the histologic details, in correlation with the clinical data helps in arriving at a specific diagnosis of various ID.

Keywords: Clinicopathologic correlation, Interface dermatitis, Lichenoid tissue reaction, Papulosquamous disorders