Johnson W C
Cutis. 1977 Nov;20(5):670-4.
An adequate biopsy that includes the subcutaneous tissue is very helpful in the evaluation of patients with suspected connective tissue disease. However, the histologic features must often be correlated with the clinical features and other laboratory tests for a definitive diagnosis. An objective histologic diagnosis can usually be made in scleroderma, lupus erythematosus panniculitis, amyloidosis, and angioedema, and in diseases such as lepromatous leprosy and mycosis fungoids (which are sometimes confused with connective tissue diseases). Correlation with clinical features and, sometimes, other laboratory tests is often required to establish a diagnosis of scleredema, dermatomyositis, myxedema, and lichen myxedematosus. The features in cheilitis granulomatosa usually are not specific, but a biopsy is helpful to rule out other diseases.
包含皮下组织的充分活检对疑似结缔组织病患者的评估非常有帮助。然而，组织学特征通常必须与临床特征及其他实验室检查结果相关联，才能做出明确诊断。硬皮病、红斑狼疮性脂膜炎、淀粉样变性和血管性水肿，以及瘤型麻风病和蕈样霉菌病（有时会与结缔组织病混淆）等疾病通常可以做出客观的组织学诊断。诊断硬肿病、皮肌炎、黏液性水肿和黏液性苔藓时，通常需要将组织学特征与临床特征以及有时与其他实验室检查结果相关联。肉芽肿性唇炎的特征通常不具有特异性，但活检有助于排除其他疾病。
