The lesions usually involve the deep dermis and subcutis.
In horses with HC, the skin separates between the deep and superficial dermis.
Shortened and thinned collagen fibrils in the deep dermis was the significant characteristic shared among the affected skin of diseased horses.
Through the heating of the deep dermis, fibroblasts are stimulated to form new collagen and elastin helping to bring increased turgor and thickness to the skin.
A deep penetrating nevus is a type of benign melanocytic skin tumor characterized, as its name suggests, by penetration into the deep dermis and/or subcutis.
Histopathologic sections reveal a contiguous coagulation necrosis of the deep dermis and panniculus, with destruction of nerves, appendages, and blood vessels.
In crocodiles and turtles, the dermal armour is formed from the deeper dermis rather than the epidermis, and do not form the same sort of overlapping structure as snake scales.
Topical 5-FU demonstrated some efficacy, but in some cases viable tumor remained in the deeper dermis.
The fibers of the upper dermis ("papillary dermis") are thinner than the fibers of the deep dermis, thus the skin envelope is 1-3 mm thick.
The deep dermis is approximated (joined) with sutures, in a simple, interrupted fashion.