Skin Lesions Flashcards
What is a patch?
A macule larger than 1 cm. A circumscribed, flat, nonpalpable change in skin color.
Example: Mongolian spot, vitiligo
What is a papule?
A palpable, elevated, circumscribed, solid mass (superficial thickening in epidermis), up to .5 cm.
Example: wart
What is a plaque?
A flat, elevated surface larger than .5 cm, often a coalescence of papules.
Example: psoriasis
What is a nodule?
A solid, firm or soft, elevated mass larger than .5 cm. May extend into the dermis.
Example: fibroma
What is a tumor?
Solid, elevated, firm or soft larger mass (more than 1-2 cm). Extending even deeper into dermis. Benign or malignant.
Example: lipoma, hemangioma
What is a wheal?
A superficial, raised, erythematous, transient, lesion with somewhat irregular borders due to localized edema.
Example: mosquito bite, allergic reaction
What is urticaria?
Wheals coalescing to form an extensive reaction; extremely pruritic.
Example: hives
What is a vesicle?
A circumscribed, superficial, elevated cavity containing free fluid (clear fluid comes out if ruptured). Up to 1 cm.
Examples: contact dermatitis, herpes simplex
What is a bulla?
A larger vesicle, thin walled–easily ruptures, usually single chamber, epidermis. Larger than 1 cm.
Example: friction blister, burns
What is a pustule?
A circumscribed, superficial elevated cavity containing pus–up to 1 cm.
Example: acne
What is a cyst?
An encapsulated, fluid or pus-filled cavity in dermis or subcutaneous layer, tensely elevating skin. Larger than 1 cm.
Example: sebaceous cyst
What is crust?
Debris on the skin made of thickened, dried residue of burst vesicles, pustules or blood.
Example: eczema, scab following abrasion
What is scale?
Compact, desiccated flakes of skin
Example: dandruff, psoriasis, dry skin
What is a macule?
Circumscribed, flat, nonpalpable change in skin color up to 1 cm in size.
Example: freckles, petechiae
