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This study indicates that accurate diagnosis can be made by both cytologic study of Papanicolaou stained smears and frozen tissue sections prepared from specimens of cutaneous premalignant, malignant, and benign lesions. Both techniques are of distinct advantage over the paraffin-block method in making a rapid presumptive diagnosis because of the short time required and the high degree of specificity. In some instances, rapid diagnosis permits more prompt institution of therapy and reduction of the period of hospitalization. Disadvantages are the need for trained personnel and the difficulty of specifically diagnosing premalignant lesions. The smear technique has certain advantages over frozen section method in that it is equally reliable, requires only limited equipment, and is simple and highly adaptable.

The smear technique of cytodiagnosis is of distinct value in the study of lesions of urticaria pigmentosa, herpes simplex, eczema herpeticum, herpes zoster, varicella, and vaccinia. The method has certain advantages as a rapid aid to the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus erythematosus, but pitfalls are encountered because of the presence of acantholytic and Tzanck-like cells in other diseases. Proteolytic enzymes liberated from polymorphonuclear leukocytes or bacteria probably account for the acantholytic cells observed in several of the vesiculobullous and pustular diseases studied. Cytodiagnosis of inflammatory dermatoses is an adjunct to routine histologic study and clinical evaluation of the disease.

A case of nodular granulomatous perifolliculitis of the thigh due to Microsporum gypseum is reported. The disease responded to oral griseofulvin therapy.