Applications of electron microscopy in health: the example of epidermolysis bullosa

Abstract

ABSTRACT We report the case of a patient with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) diagnosed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), emphasizing the applications and importance of this technique in the health area. The patient was a male, the only child of young and non-consanguineous parents without similar cases in the family. The patient underwent a cutaneous biopsy in which TEM revealed sub-basal membrane involvement, confirming the diagnosis of DEB. Despite technological advances, TEM continues to play an important role in diagnosis and clinical research and is considered the best option for confirmation of diagnosis and subtypes of diseases such as epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

Keywords

• epidermólise bolhosa
• epidermólise bolhosa distrófica
• epiderme
• membrana basal
• microscopia eletrônica