Related Experiment Videos
Gloves and socks syndrome: early and late histopathologic features
Sidney B Smith1, Lester F Libow, Dirk M Elston
1San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium at Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA. sidneybsmith@pol.net
Background:
Gloves and socks syndrome (GSS) is a recently described exanthem, most commonly caused by parvovirus B19.
Objective:
Our purpose was to describe both early and late histopathologic features of GSS.
Methods:
We performed histopathologic examination of biopsy specimens from a case of GSS and reviewed all the English-language literature reports of GSS to compare the reported histologic descriptions.
Results:
A total of 46 cases of GSS have been reported in the English-language literature. In 18 of those, the pathologic features were described. The histologic features of the current case evolved from a nonspecific superficial perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate to a vacuolar interface dermatitis with necrotic keratinocytes, erythrocyte extravasation, and a superficial perivascular and interstitial lymphocytic infiltrate.
Conclusion:
Early lesions of GSS show nonspecific features common to viral exanthems. The late features, of a fully evolved exanthem, demonstrate a vacuolar interface dermatitis with necrotic keratinocytes, a superficial perivascular and interstitial infiltrate, and dermal hemorrhage. These late pathologic features, together with the clinical appearance of GSS, may help distinguish it from other entities.