Skin

Question 1

What are the functions of the skin?

Answer 1

Largest organ of the body, protective barrier against environmental insults, temperature and water loss regulation, sensation, vitamin D synthesis, appearance.

Question 2

What is a macule?

Answer 2

A flat area of altered colour

Question 3

What is a patch?

Answer 3

A flat area of altered colour or texture >0.5cm

Question 4

What is a plaque?

Answer 4

Palpable scaling raised lesion >0.5cm

Question 5

What is a papule?

Answer 5

Solid raised lesion

Question 6

What is a nodule?

Answer 6

Solid raised lesion >0.5cm

Question 7

What is a vesicle?

Answer 7

Raised, clear fluid-filled lesion

Question 8

What is a bulla?

Answer 8

Raised, clear fluid-filled lesion >0.5cm

Question 9

What are the different types of benign lesions?

Answer 9

Skin tags, moles, cysts, papillomas.

Question 10

What are fibroepithelial polyps?

Answer 10

Common, flesh coloured bag like lesion. Generally in middle-aged and older people.

Question 11

What is Naevi?

Answer 11

Proliferation of melanocytes (pigment-producing cell). Can occur in the derma-epidermal junction, D-EJ and dermis or just in dermis.

Question 12

What is a sebaceous cyst?

Answer 12

Clinical term encompasses 2 types of cyst. Derived from invagination of epithelium.

Question 13

What are the 2 types of sebaceous cysts?

Answer 13

Epidermoid cyst, Pilar cyst.

Question 14

What is Seborrhoeic Keratosis?

Answer 14

Occurs in middle aged and older people. Arises spontaneously on trunk, head and neck. Brown/lumpy lesion.

Question 15

What is Haemangioma?

Answer 15

Benign vascular tumours of the dermis. Bluey red surface. Tend to occur in children.

Question 16

What are the different types of malignant lesions?

Answer 16

Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, Bowen’s disease, Melanoma.

Question 17

What is basal cell carcinoma?

Answer 17

Most common human cancer. Slow growing tumours, rarely metastasise. Occur at sun exposed sites. Appear as a pearly nodule.

Question 18

What is Bowen’s disease?

Answer 18

Epidermal dysplasia caused by sun damage. Can turn into squamous cell carcinoma.

Question 19

What is squamous cell carcinoma?

Answer 19

Second commonest skin tumour of sun-exposed sites in older people

Question 20

What is melanoma?

Answer 20

Fairly common, arises in sun damaged skin. Can be aggressive and widely spread.

Question 21

What are symptoms of melanoma?

Answer 21

Asymmetry
Border - irregular 
Colour - variable pigmentation in lesion
Diameter 
Enlarge

Question 22

What are rashes?

Answer 22

Inflammatory skin reactions.

Question 23

What is an example of a common rash?

Answer 23

Eczema - ‘to boil over’. Itching, burning, rash, blisters.

Question 24

What is psoriasis?

Answer 24

Commonly affects elbows, knees, scalp, lumbosacral area and glens penis. Salmon pink plaques with silver scaling.

Question 25

What are the associations with psoriasis?

Answer 25

Nail changes, arthritis, myopathy, enteropathy and spondylic joint disease.

Question 26

What is scabies?

Answer 26

Common and very itchy. Caused by human scabies mites. Burrows appear as small greyish lines on the skin.

Question 27

How is scabies spread?

Answer 27

Direct skin to skin contact with someone who already has scabies.

Question 28

What are the 3 types of skin conditions associated with systemic disease?

Answer 28

Meningitis, SLE, Internal malignancy

Question 29

What are the symptoms of meningitis?

Answer 29

Unwell, headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright light. Aching limbs, cold hands and feet. Rash of tiny pink prick spots which can develop into purple bruising. Non-blanching rash.