Skin scrapings

As a skin scraping is called a simple technique of sampling in dermatology . It is performed routinely , especially in veterinary medicine .

The transition areas between healthy skin and diseased skin are primarily used as sampling points. A scalpel blade is used for removal , which is moistened with paraffin oil to improve the adhesion of skin flakes. After shortening the hair, this area is scraped off with the blade.

In the case of superficial skin scraping , only the upper epidermal layers are removed. This is suitable for the detection of grave mites , predatory mites , autumn grass mites , skin fungi and yeasts . The deep skin scraping can also be done with a sharp spoon and is carried out down to the dermis , i.e. until capillary blood emerges. It is used to detect parasites such as hair follicle mites that live deep in the skin .

After harvesting, the skin scrap is spread onto a slide and briefly heat-fixed and then examined with a light microscope . If a skin fungus is suspected, it may be useful to add 10% potassium hydroxide to discolor the hair and thus to better display fungal hyphae .

literature

• Chiara Noli, Fabia Scarampella: Practical Dermatology in Dogs and Cats. Clinic, diagnosis, therapy . 2nd unchanged edition. Schlütersche Verlagsanstalt, Hanover 2005, ISBN 3-87706-713-1 ( Vet ).

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !