Histopathology Artifacts Quiz
ANSWER CASE 6
The skin contains black deposits of very finely granular material in
the reticular dermis, where it is located free in the tissue rather
than in the cytoplasm of phagocytic cells. There appears to be no
tissue reaction to the presence of the deposits. This deposit is
tattoo pigment, one of a range of different coloured, insoluble
pigments used in producing decorative colours on the skin and
sometimes not mentioned in documentation accompanying the specimen
to the laboratory. These deposits are generally unreactive to
histochemical tests and are not birefringent under polarised light.
Answer tattoo pigment.

© Roy C. Ellis 2004