| Acantholysis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foot-and-mouth disease - acantholysis in a sample of a skin vesicle: Necrosis of the stratum spinosum can be observed, and keratinocytes floating in the vesicular fluid (spongiosa). | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
Acantholysis is the loss of intercellular connections, such as desmosomes, resulting in loss of cohesion between keratinocytes, seen in diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris. It is absent in bullous pemphigoid, making it useful for differential diagnosis.
This histological feature is also seen in herpes simplex infections (HSV 1 and 2) and varicella zoster infections (chicken pox and shingles).