Comparing dermoscopy and histological examination of normal equine skin.

The study investigates the use and applicability of dermoscopy in evaluating the skin of healthy horses and the findings were compared to traditional histological examination of the skin biopsies.

Research Objective

• The main goal of this study was to establish the usefulness and the applicability of dermoscopy, a noninvasive diagnostic technique, for evaluating the skin of healthy horses.

Methodology

• Twelve healthy horses were examined from a research herd for the study.
• Five regions of skin (including cheek, lateral neck, dorsum, flank, and abdomen) were examined using contact dermoscopy. This examination entailed the use of both nonpolarized and polarized light at 17-fold and 24-fold magnification.
• The findings from the dermoscopic examination were then compared to the histological features of skin biopsies that were cut both longitudinally and transversely.

Results

• When they used a hand-held dermatoscope with nonpolarized light, the researchers were able to observe epidermal ridges. Using polarized light, they were able to observe follicular openings and distinctly separate epidermal openings of sweat gland ducts in some, but not all, individuals.
• The researchers noted similarities between the dermoscopic results and the histological results.

Conclusion

• The conclusion of the research suggests that while dermoscopy may not be ideal for visualizing many structures in the healthy equine skin’s superficial dermis, it made it possible to visualize epidermal ridges, hair shafts in the infundibular part of the hair follicles, and sweat gland duct openings.
• The potential application of dermoscopy could be significant for evaluating diseases that affect the sweat glands, the epidermis, and the hair shaft.