Abstract
The prickle cells, which show intracellular and intercellular edema as the result of early nonspecific inflammatory changes seemed to receive viral infection. The infected cells disclosed the swelling of the nuclei and the irregular clumping of chromatin. In the cytoplasm, the retraction of the tonofilaments, enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum, decreased number of ribosome and mitochondrial swelling were noted. Acantholysis was also observed in these ballooning cells. As the infection advances, the degenration and destruction of the prickle cells appeared together with dyskeratotic cells which had clear zone between the condensed tonofialments and shrunken nuclei.
