Figure 1.

Histomorphological study of the skin. Skin biopsies: stained by (a, b) hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and (c, d) orcein: with previous oxidation with oxone to detect new elastic fibers. In (a), histological sections representative of young skin showing an organized arrangement of the structural components of the dermis with few inflammatory cells. In (b), intense inflammatory infiltrate and presence of degenerated material in the dermis, characteristic of collagen basophilic degeneration. In (c), microphotography of the elastic system: oxytalan fibers and elaunin fibers perpendicular to the DEJ; mature elastic fibers positioned horizontally in the deep dermis in a young skin. In (d), reduction of oxytalan fibers in zone 1 and accumulation of reactive material for oxidized orcein in the papillary and reticular dermis (actinic elastosis, zone 2). Original magnification: 4x (objective lens).