Skin morphology

Question 1

What is a macule?

Answer 1

Flat, <1cm, can’t feel

Question 2

What is a patch?

Answer 2

Flat, >1cm, can’t feel

Question 3

What is a papule?

Answer 3

Raised lesion, <1cm

Question 4

What is a plaque?

Answer 4

Raised lesion, >1cm

Question 5

What is a nodule?

Answer 5

Deep, palpable, >1cm

Question 6

What is a vesicle?

Answer 6

Raised, fluid filled, <1cm

Question 7

What is a bulla?

Answer 7

Raised, fluid filled, >1cm

Question 8

What is a pustule?

Answer 8

Raised, pus-filled

Question 9

What are the six dimensions that we describe when identifying a skin lesion?

Answer 9

Palpability, color, shape, texture, size, and location

Question 10

What is the definition of erythematous?

Answer 10

Red from inflammation

Question 11

How do we describe the color of a skin lesion?

Answer 11

Actual color; erythematous, hyperpigmented

Question 12

What is the definition of hyperpigmented?

Answer 12

Darkening of the color of the skin

Question 13

How do we describe the size of a skin legion?

Answer 13

Measure solitary lesions; minute/small/medium/large for multiple lesions

Question 14

What is scale?

Answer 14

Accumulated skin (stratum corneum)

Question 15

What is crust?

Answer 15

Dried exudate (blood, serum, pus)

Question 16

What is excoriation?

Answer 16

Trauma due to scratching

Question 17

What is erosion?

Answer 17

Superficial depression with loss of epidermis (can be from scratching, picking, or pathopysiological process)

Question 18

What is an ulcer?

Answer 18

Depression with loss of epidermis and dermis

Question 19

What is a fissure?

Answer 19

Linear cleavage

Question 20

What is lichenification?

Answer 20

Thickened, accentuated skin lines

Question 21

What is atrophy?

Answer 21

Depression, thinning, and wrinkling

Question 22

What is a scar?

Answer 22

Permanent fibrotic change

Question 23

What are the characteristics of vascular/vasculitic lesions?

Answer 23

Will not blanch with pressure, diascopy

Question 24

What causes petechial skin lesions?

Answer 24

Acute to subacute leakage of capillaries within skin

Question 25

What causes purpuric skin lesions?

Answer 25

Acute to subacute leakage of capillaries or smaller/larger vessels within skin

Question 26

What are the characteristics of purpuric skin lesions?

Answer 26

Usually larger, may be palpable

Question 27

What are the characteristics of petechial skin lesions?

Answer 27

Generally pinpoint to small

Question 28

What causes ecchymotic skin lesions?

Answer 28

Subacute to chronic hemorrhage within skin

Question 29

What are the characteristics of petechial skin lesions?

Answer 29

Usually larger

Question 30

What are the characteristics of erosions?

Answer 30

Loss of part of all of the epidermis, may occur after a vesicle forms and the top peels off, may weep fluid and become crusted, do not scar

Question 31

What are the characteristics of ulcers?

Answer 31

Complete loss of the epidermis in addition to part of the dermis, usually heal with scarring

Question 32

What is the difference between distribution and configuration?

Answer 32

Distribution describes the anatomic location of the lesion on the body; configuration describes how the lesions are arranged or relate to each other