Electron Microscopic Observation of Dyskeratotic Cells in Acquired Zinc Deficiency

This paper describes the electron microscopic structure of dyskeratotic cells observed in cutaneous lesions of 3 cases with acquired zinc deficiency. Double‐zoned cytoplasm consisted of amorphous cell organelles and irregular tonofilaments occasionally containing lipid droplets and melanosomes. Small nuclei were seen in many dyskeratotic cells around the blister. Various degrees of alteration were noted in cells in erythematous lesions following the disappearance of all desmosomes. The halo formation of dyskeratotic cells with double‐zoned cytoplasm indicates an alteration in keratinocytes, which may be caused by superoxide radical anions resulting from inactivity of superoxide dismutase, a zinc‐dependent enzyme.