In hydropic degeneration, swelling occurs in which cells of the basal layer?

• A. Basal keratinocytes
• B. Fibroblasts
• C. Langerhans cells
• D. Melanocytes

Answer: (C)

Hydropic degeneration is a reversible cell injury characterized by cellular swelling from water influx when the cell’s ion pumps fail and membrane integrity is compromised. In the epidermis, the cells most prone to this swelling in the basal layer are the basal keratinocytes—the cells directly above the basement membrane that are actively proliferating to renew the epidermis. These basal keratinocytes show intracellular edema and a ballooned appearance when injured.

Langerhans cells are immune cells located in the epidermis (primarily in the spinous layer) and are not the typical site of hydropic change. Fibroblasts reside in the dermis, not the basal epidermal layer, and melanocytes, though present in the basal layer, do not characteristically undergo hydropic degeneration. So the swelling in hydropic degeneration of the basal layer occurs in basal keratinocytes.