Curious And Need To Sound Knowledgeable!

[Sam81]

It's 4 days to my LONG awaited appointment with a Dermatologist. I am determined to get a biopsy done on that day of my rash but am curious as to what they test it for? Is it the same as the blood test? (not that that has been done properly...). was just curious and am trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible as I really am fed up of being fobbed off!

Thanks to all you wonderfully clever people!

[pricklypear1971]

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Best single place.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Make sure they biopsy the clear skin NEXT TO the legions, not the legions themselves. And, yes, they are looking for antibodies similar to the blood tests.

[eatmeat4good]

IgA antibodies

Please post if you are successful. I've never been able to convince a Dermatologist to biopsy...they want an intact lesion and the blisters are very fragile...so never an intact lesion to biopsy. It would be negative if they did anyway because the biopsy has to be next to the lesion on clear skin...that is where the antibodies are. If you get a biopsy...celebrate it...and post here about it for those of us who couldn't.

[maryphyl]

The day I went to the dermatologist I almost cancelled because the rash seemed to be getting better. I had no inkling what I had but I had had lots of rashes all my life. Anyway, she said it did not matter and asked where my most recent ones were--I thought perhaps my left knee so that is where she took her sample. When the results came back she seemed as surprised and concerned as I was.

IgA antibodies

Please post if you are successful. I've never been able to convince a Dermatologist to biopsy...they want an intact lesion and the blisters are very fragile...so never an intact lesion to biopsy. It would be negative if they did anyway because the biopsy has to be next to the lesion on clear skin...that is where the antibodies are. If you get a biopsy...celebrate it...and post here about it for those of us who couldn't.

[eatmeat4good]

Congratulations on getting the biopsy. So do you mean to say that you had NO active rash at all, but she biopsied clear skin where the last rash used to be? That is very interesting if I am reading you correctly. Because the DH literature says the antibodies can remain in the skin for up to 10 years. If that is the case...then a biopsy should be possible even if no rash is present at the time of biopsy. Thank you for posting. That is very interesting.

[pricklypear1971]

Let me clarify what my derm was getting at.

The blisters destroy the iga directly under it so that's why they want clear skin - so there is iga.

Some DH rashes are easier to biopsy than others. I'd bet a big blister type is easy, whereas my nest of blisters wouldn't be since it fades to minuscule blisters not to clear skin. So where's the line to clear skin?

I'm not a derm and he didn't go into that detail bit I got the impression he's done this before and finding the intact iga is a challenge.

[maryphyl]

Congratulations on getting the biopsy. So do you mean to say that you had NO active rash at all, but she biopsied clear skin where the last rash used to be? That is very interesting if I am reading you correctly. Because the DH literature says the antibodies can remain in the skin for up to 10 years. If that is the case...then a biopsy should be possible even if no rash is present at the time of biopsy. Thank you for posting. That is very interesting.

You could see where some had been and where I had scratched myself to a bloody mess. I got them right where the lit says--buttocks, knees and elbow areas. She cut next to where I showed her --there was the purple look to it. Another doc, a GP had given me some cream which turned my skin to funky leather but it had healed some. I had found a similar looking rash online so she had a good idea of what they looked like. I can't say I had no rash at all but I had no fresh new blisters.