Session 6 Flashcards
Learning outcomes
- Ability to describe the functions of the skin
- Ability to describe the structure of normal skin
• Ability to describe the functions of the skin LO
Functions of the skin?
- Protective barrier against environmental insults
- Temperature regulation
- Sensation
- Vitamin D synthesis
- Immunosurveillance
- Cosmesis
What is Erythroderma?
Intense and usually widespread reddening of the skin due to inflammatory skin disease. It often precedes or is associated with exfoliation (skin peeling off in scales or layers), when it may also be known as exfoliative dermatitis (ED).
Erythroderma complications (6)
- ‘Total skin failure’
- Hypothermia (loss of thermoregulation)
- Infection (loss of protective barrier)
- Renal failure (insensible losses)
- High output cardiac failure (dilated skin vessels)
- Protein malnutrition (high turnover of skin)
Erythroderma
- >90% of body surface area affected, erythematous (?) and exfoliatitive
- Causes:
- Symptoms:
- Signs:
- Reddening of the skin,
- psoriasis, eczema, drugs, cutaneous T cell lymphoma
- pruritus, fatigue, anorexia, feeling cold
- erythematous, thickened, inflamed, scaly, no sparing


Epidermis
4 major cell types each with individual function
- Keratinocytes - protective barrier
- Langerhan cells- antigen presenting cells
- Melanocytes- produce melanin which provides pigment to the skin and protects cell nuclei from UV DNA damage
- Merkel Cells - contain specialised nerve endings for sensation
Epidermis
- 4 layers of the epidermis
- Each layer represents a different stage of maturation of the keratinocyte
- Average epidermal turnover time is about ?
- The 4 layers of the epidermis include: ?
30 days
stratum corneum (horny layer- most superficial)
stratum granulosum,
stratum spinosum (prickle layer),
stratum basale (basal layer),
• Stratum lucidum found in areas of thicker skin such as palms and soles
Epidermis
Pathology of the epidermis may cause:
a) Change in epidermal turnover
b) Change in surface of the skin
c) Changes in pigmentation of the skin
What are these two images showing

-
Dermis
- Composed of ?
- Provides ?
- Also contains ?
- collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans
- Strength and elasticity
- immune cells, nerve cells, skin appendages, lymphatics and blood vessels
What are these images showing

-
- Produce sebum through?
- Secrete sebum on to skin which?
- Active after puberty
- Stimulated by conversion of ?
- Increased sebum production and bacterial colonisation in conditions such as ?

- hair follicles (pilosebaceous unit)
- Lubricates skin
3.
- Androgen to dihydrotestosterone
- acne vulagris
Eccrine and Apocrine glands
- Function
- Innervated by ?
- Two types: ?
- Regulate body temperature
- sympathetic system
- Eccrine - widespread
Apocrine - active following puberty and are found in axillae, areolae, genitalia and
anus.
Eccrine glands
- Function
- Location
- Innervation
- Sweat - thermoregulation
- highest density in palms and soles, then on the head, but much less on the trunk and the extremities
- Cholinergic sympathetic nerve
An apocrine sweat gland
- Structure
- Location
- Modified apocrine glands include ?
- Innervation
- Coiled secretory portion located at the junction of the dermis and subcutaneous fat, from which a straight portion inserts and secretes into the infundibular portion of the hair follicle.
- The axillae(armpits), areola and nipples of the breast, ear canal, eyelids, wings of the nostril, perianal region, and some parts of the external genitalia.
- the ciliary glands in the eyelids; the ceruminous glands, which produce ear wax; and the mammary glands, which produce milk.
- Adrenergic nerves
Hair
- Each hair consists of modified keratin and is divided into ?
- 3 main types of hair:
- Each hair follicle enters a growth cycle which has 3 main phases:
- hair shaft and hair bulb
- lanugo hair, vellum hair (short hair all over body), terminal hair (coarse long hair)
- anagen, catagen, telogen

What is this image showing?

-
Nails
- Consists of a nail plate which arises from the ? at the posterior nail fold and rests on the nail bed.
- Nail bed contains ?

- nail matrix
- blood capillaries

What are these images showing?

-
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Take a dermatological history
- Examine skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes systematically
- Describe cutaneous physical signs
- Apply these skills to a patient presenting with a skin problem - role-play cases
• Take a dermatological history LO
How do you take a dermatological history
What questions should you ask
- Presenting complaint -> • Nature (e.g. rash vs lesion) • Site • Duration
- History of presenting complaint -> • Initial appearance and evolution* • Symptoms (particularly itch and pain) • Aggravating and relieving factors (“triggers”) • Previous and current treatments (effective or not) * Indicates points more important with lesions as presenting complaint
- Past medical history -> • Systemic diseases • History of atopy (asthma, hay fever, eczema) • History of skin cancer or pre-cancer* • History of sunburn/sunbathing/sun-bed use* • Skin type*
- Family history -> • Family history of skin disease* • Family history of atopy • Family history of autoimmune disease
- Social history -> • Occupation (• Sun exposure* • Contactants) • Improvement in PC when away from work
- Drug history and allergies -> • Regular and recent • Systemic and topical • Get specific with topical treatments (• Where? • How much? • How long for?)
- Impact on quality of life / ICE -> • Impact of skin complaint on life • Ideas • Concerns • Expectations

• Examine skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes systematically LO
What four things are you examining for?
Inspect
Palpate
Describe
Systematic check (Whole skin Hair, nails, mucous membranes)
What does describe entail?
- S - Site, distribution (rash) • or Size and Shape (lesion)
- C - Colour (and Configuration)
- A - Associated changes e.g. surface features
- M - Morphology














