general Flashcards
(33 cards)
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What are the 3 key factors for dermatological diagnosis?
Morphology, Topography, and Symptoms/Anamnesis
What is clinical morphology?
The macroscopic aspect of skin lesions
What is histopathology?
The microscopic aspect of skin lesions
What role do symptoms play in diagnosis?
They confirm clinical hypotheses or define the treatment, but don’t change the diagnosis.
What is the ‘Chair’ paradigm?
Recognizing a lesion’s features is not enough without knowing its clinical name, like knowing a chair’s shape but not its name.
What are elementary lesions?
Direct expression of the pathologic process; every dermatological disease shows at least one.
List the primary elementary lesions.
Macule, Patch, Papule, Plaque, Nodule, Vesicle, Bulla, Pustule, Hive
List the secondary elementary lesions.
Crust, Scale, Excoriation, Fissure, Erosion, Ulcer, Scar
What is a macule?
Flat lesion, change in color only, <1 cm
What is a patch?
Flat lesion, >1 cm
What is a papule?
Raised lesion <1 cm, proliferation of epidermal or superficial dermal cells
What is a plaque?
Aggregated papules forming a palpable lesion, casting shadow with side lighting
What is a nodule?
Solid, raised lesion >1 cm, proliferation in mid-deep dermis
What is a vesicle?
Fluid-filled papule <1 cm
What is a bulla?
Fluid-filled blister >1 cm
What is a pustule?
Lesion filled with pus (leukocytes + fluid)
What are hives (urticaria)?
Raised, edematous lesions lasting minutes to 24 hrs, itchy, surrounded by erythema
What is a crust?
Dried serum, blood, or pus on the skin
What is a scale?
Flakes of keratinized cells
What is excoriation?
Linear erosion from scratching
What is a fissure?
Linear crack into the epidermis
What is erosion?
Loss of part/all epidermis; heals without scarring
What is an ulcer?
Loss of epidermis and part of dermis; heals with scarring
