Papillary dermis
Papillary dermis · Type III collagen Capillary loops IgA in DH
The thin, cell-rich and vessel-rich superficial dermis of fine type III and I collagen and delicate elastic fibres. It carries the capillary loops that nourish the avascular epidermis, the free nerve endings, and the Meissner corpuscles.
Traced from the start
Detail
- Matrix
- Loosely arranged fine collagen fibres, mainly types III and I, with oxytalan elastic fibres running perpendicular to the junction
- Nutrition
- Capillary loops in each dermal papilla supply the whole epidermis by diffusion; the epidermis has no vessels and no lymphatics of its own
- Nerves
- Free nerve endings for pain and temperature reach into the epidermis; Meissner corpuscles occupy the papillae of glabrous skin
- Graft plane
- A split-thickness skin graft is harvested through this layer, leaving the deeper adnexa to re-epithelialise the donor site in 10-14 days
When it goes wrong
Granular IgA deposition at the tips of the dermal papillae (dermatitis herpetiformis)
Intensely itchy grouped vesicles on elbows, knees, buttocks and scalp; essentially always accompanied by coeliac disease, so test tissue transglutaminase antibodies; dapsone controls the rash but only a gluten-free diet treats the gut
Thermal injury reaching this layer but no deeper
Superficial partial-thickness burn: blisters, severe pain because the nerve endings survive, and healing in about two weeks without scarring
Practise this structure
16 questions in the bank tagged Skin.
A 45-year-old woman presents with a painful, swollen, red area on her right forearm that developed over the past two days. She reports a minor cut from gardenin…
Mechanisms of disease · common
A 45-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus presents with a painful, rapidly expanding area of redness on her thigh. She has a fever of 39°C (102.2°F) and hypote…
Mechanisms of disease · middle twist
A 65-year-old man presents with purple spots on his forearms and hands that appeared over the past few days. He denies pain, itching, or trauma. His medical his…
Mechanisms of disease · middle twist
A biopsy of the tracheal epithelium shows a single layer of cells with nuclei at different levels, cilia, and mucus-secreting goblet cells. Which of the followi…
Foundations · common
Which of the following is TRUE about stratified columnar epithelium?
Foundations · niche
Which function is performed by stratified cuboidal epithelium?
Foundations · common