Ulstrastructural study of leukodermic skin in Waardenburg-Klein syndrome

The skin of a patient with Waardenburg syndrome has been studied by electron microscope. In leukodermic skin, there were neither melanocytes nor indeterminate cells; Langerhans cells were normal in number and distribution. On the edge of the lesion, melanocytes were few and appeared degenerated, with abnormal melanosomes; indeterminate cells were observed in suprabasal areas. Healthy skin also showed melanosome abnormalities. These findings are discussed and compared with the characteristics of piebaldism.