Immunopathology plays an important role in serum and tissue diagnosis of immunologically mediated disorders. The enzyme antibody methods are becoming an integral part of the diagnosis and investigation of immunopathology in systemic and cutaneous disorders.
This second edition of Immunopathology of the Skin, edited by Drs Beutner, Chorzelski, and Bean, provides an updated reference on the clinical and laboratory aspects of dermatoimmunopathology. I found the first several chapters dealing with indications, detailed descriptions of methods, and fluorescence microscopy most interesting and useful. The chapter on the uses of enzyme antibody methods in dermatoimmunopathology is adequate. The significance of stratum corneum antibodies in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, also common to psoriasiform dermatoses, has been discussed at length. The editors have included their provocative conception of autoimmunity. A more detailed list and description of autoantibodies and immunopathologic changes in lichen planus could make future editions more comprehensive. Similarly, the editors would have