Pitted Keratolysis (Keratolysis Plantare Sulcatum). Ultrastructural Study*

Abstract

Biopsies from typical lesions i of pitted keratolysis from 5 patients were investigated by EM to provide information on colonization and morphology of the microorganisms involved in this disease. A part of the biopsies was inoculated in culture media and corynebacteria were selected for further examination. EM revealed a great variability in the morphologic feature of bacteria concerning size, shape, capsule, cell wall, cross wall formation, plasma membrane, nucleoplasm, cytoplasmic organelles and constituents including mesosomes, ribosomes, volutin granules and glycogen particles. The pleomorphism may be due in part to the diversity of preparation techniques used and to different growth conditions in vivo and in vitro. Bacteria inducing pitted keratolysis may destroy keratin by means of hydrolytic enzymatic activity.