ABSTRACT
Information regarding cutaneous disease in the black races continues to evolve. It has not been until recently that differences in black skin structure and presentation were mentioned in most dermatologic, literature. Over the last few years controversy has ensued regarding the differences in structure and function of black skin compared to other skin types. (For the purposes of this chapter, the term “black” refers to those persons of African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean descent.) It is well established, however, that one of the main differences in black skin occurs in the melanocytes. Although the number of melanocytes is the same regardless of a person’s race, the difference occurs in the melanosomes. Melanosomes are larger and more individually arranged within the cytoplasm of keratinocytes in black skin, whereas in white skin the melanosomes are smaller and packed into membrane-bound aggregates.1
