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Oct 22, 2024 · Common causes include acne, cellulitis, and chickenpox. They can occur suddenly with allergy or be a symptom of a chronic condition. Most skin lesions are benign (not cancer) but others may be severe, like melanoma skin cancer. They also can occur with life-threatening conditions like anaphylaxis, a severe allergy. 1.
- Vesicle
Bacterial infections. Bacterial causes of vesicular rash...
- Plaque
A skin plaque, or primary lesion, can be flat or appear as a...
- Keloids
Aspirin: Crushed aspirin tablets made into a paste and...
- The ABCDE Rule of Skin Cancer
Basal and squamous cell carcinoma develop primarily on areas...
- Urticaria
Urticaria, or hives, is a common type of rash characterized...
- How to Tell If a Mole Is Turning Into Skin Cancer
Asymmetry: One half of the mole looks different from the...
- Common Skin Diseases and Conditions
Some of the most common skin conditions and diseases are...
- Milia
Milia, also known as “milk cysts,” are caused by a protein...
- Vesicle
Distribution is random or patterned, symmetric or asymmetric. Lesions are on sun-exposed or protected skin. Although few patterns are pathognomonic, some are consistent with certain diseases. Psoriasis frequently affects the scalp, extensor surfaces of the elbows and knees, umbilicus, and the gluteal cleft.
- Julia Benedetti
- Introduction
- Describing Skin Conditions
- Structure of The Skin
- Distribution
- Configuration of Lesions
- Colour
- Morphology
- Skin Surface
- Secondary Changes
If you don't find what you are looking for on this page, try DermNet's Glossary of Dermatology Terms or Dermatological diagnoses often have more than one name. DermNet refers to various resources when naming conditions, including the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s International Classification of Diseases (see ICD11 coding tool), and the Systemat...
A lesionis any single area of altered skin. It may be solitary or multiple.A rash is a widespread eruption of lesions.Dermatosisis a generic term for a disease of the skin.The skin is considered to have three parts: the outer epidermis, middle dermis and deep subcutaneous tissue. There is a basement membranethat separates the epidermis from the dermis and acts as a communication channel between the two layers.
Distribution refers to how the skin lesions are scattered or spread out. Skin lesions may be isolated (solitary or single) or multiple. The localisation of multiple lesions in certain regions helps diagnosis, as skin diseases tend to have characteristic distributions. What is the extent of the eruption and its pattern? 1. Acral — relating to or aff...
Configuration refers to the shape or outline of the skin lesions. Skin lesions are often grouped.The pattern or shape may help in diagnosis as many skin conditions have a characteristic configuration. 1. Nummular lesion — round (coin-shaped) lesions; also known as discoid. 2. Linear lesion — a linear shape to a lesion often occurs for some external...
Descriptive terms used to describe skin colour include: 1. Carotenoderma — yellow/orange skin hue due to excessive circulating beta-carotene (vitamin a precursor derived from yellow/orange coloured vegetables and fruit); tends to be pronounced on palms and soles, and does not affect the sclera. 2. Hyperpigmentation — darkened skin compared to norma...
Morphology is the form or structure of an individual skin lesion. 1. Skin lesions may be flat, elevated above the plane of the skin or depressed below the plane of the skin. 2. They may be skin coloured or red, pink, violaceous, brown, black, grey, blue, orange, yellow. 3. Consistency may be soft, firm, hard, fluctuantor sclerosed (scarred or board...
The skin surface of a skin lesion may be normal or smooth because the pathologicalprocess is below the surface, either dermal or subcutaneous. Surface changes indicate epidermal changes are present. 1. Scaling or hyperkeratosis — an increase in the dead cells on the surface of the skin (stratum corneum). Descriptive terms for scale include: 1.1. De...
Lichenification — caused by chronic rubbing, which results in palpably thickened skin with increased skin markings and lichenoid scale. It occurs in chronic atopic eczema and lichen simplex.Crusting — the result of plasma exuding through an eroded epidermis. It is rough on the surface and is yellow or brown in colour. Bloody crustappears red, purple or black.Dystrophy — degeneration or abnormal formation of the skin. It is often used to refer to naildiseases.Excoriation — a loss of the epidermis and a portion of the dermis due to scratching or an exogenous injury. It may be linear or punctate.Dermatoses: Conditions affecting the skin, hair, or nails. Diagnosis: the act of recognizing a disease or condition from its signs and symptoms. Ecchymosis: a discolouration of the skin usually caused by bleeding underneath the skin (sometimes caused by a bruise) Efficacy: effectiveness; the ability to produce the desired effect.
The General Dermatology Exam: Learning the Language. The diagnosis of any skin lesion starts with an accurate description of it. To do that, you need to know how to describe a lesion with the associated language. This language, reviewed here, can be used to describe any skin finding.
The effort to use precise descriptive terms also encourages a clinician to look with more care and more closely at a patient's skin lesions. Key terms used in the description of lesions are (1) type of primary lesion, (2) secondary features, (3) color of lesion, (4) shape of the lesion, and (5) arrangement and distribution of the lesions. + + +
Skin lesions are areas of your skin that are different from the skin around them. Skin lesions are common and may be the result of an injury or damage to your skin, like sunburn. They’re sometimes a sign of underlying conditions, like infections or autoimmune diseases. The majority of skin lesions are noncancerous and harmless (benign), but ...
