Dermatological Terms

Question 1

Macule

Answer 1

• Primary Lesion
• A flat area of skin of different color
• usually < 1cm diameter
• ex. freckles

Question 2

Patch

Answer 2

• Primary Lesion
• Large macule
• > 1 cm in diameter
• ex. vitiligo

Question 3

Papules

Answer 3

• Primary Lesion
• solid elevated lesions
• < 0.5cm in diameter
• may coalesce to plaques
• ex. Molloscom contagiosum, Acne

Question 4

Nodule

Answer 4

• Primary Lesion
• Firm papules or lesions that extend into the dermis or SC layer
• > 0.5cm in diameter
• ex. Melanoma

Question 5

Plaque

Answer 5

• Primary Lesion
• solid lesion with a flat top
• > 1 cm in diameter
• ex. psoriasis

Question 6

Vesicle

Answer 6

• Primary Lesion
• small blister
• <0.5cm in diameter
• filled w/ clear liquid
• ex. Herpes, dermatitis, & other viral infections

Question 7

Bullae

Answer 7

• Primary Lesion
• Large blister
• > 0.5cm in diameter
• filled w/ clear liquid
• ex. Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Question 8

Pustule

Answer 8

• Primary Lesion
• common in bacterial infection
• filled with exudate (pus)

Question 9

Wheal

Answer 9

• Primary Lesion
• Edema in the epidermis
• Itchy, sometimes an overt sign of an allergy
• accumulation of liquid b/w the tissue
• ex. TB shot, usually induced by insect infection

Question 10

Burrow

Answer 10

• Primary Lesion
• Linear lesion produced by infestation
• very itchy
• ex. scabies, mites

Question 11

Telangiectasia

Answer 11

• Primary lesion
• spider veins
• caused by permanent blood vessel dilation in the dermis

Question 12

Scale

Answer 12

• Secondary Lesion
• Accumulation of horny epithelium (stratum corneum)
• ex. psoriasis, dandruff, fungal infections, ichthyosis

Question 13

Crust

Answer 13

• Secondary Lesion
• dried exudate on the skin surface
• ex. impetigo, typically comes from pustule

Question 14

Lichenification

Answer 14

• Secondary Lesion
• Thickening of the epidermis (all of it, not just one sublayer) and exaggeration of normal skin lines
• caused by friction & itching; often occurs on back of legs

Question 15

Atrophy

Answer 15

• Secondary Lesion
• thinning of the skin & stratum corneum
• depressed below skins surface
• ex. photoaging, atrophy caused by steroid injection

Question 16

Fissure

Answer 16

• Secondary Lesion
• a linear cleavage in the skin that extends into the dermis
• can be caused by excessive handwashing, dryness, fungal infection, cheilitis

Question 17

Excoriation

Answer 17

• Secondary Lesion
• Traumatized skin from scratching or rubbing
• caused by excessive itching or rubbing

Question 18

Erosion

Answer 18

• Secondary Lesion
• Slightly depressed or open area of skin with part or all of the epidermal lost
• ONLY INVOLVES EPIDERMIS

Question 19

Ulcer

Answer 19

• Secondary Lesion
• Necrosis of the epidermis & dermis
• depressed below skins surface

Question 20

Annular

Answer 20

• arranged in a circle w/ a clear middle

- ex. ringworm (tinea)

Question 21

Discrete

Answer 21

• No pattern, random distribution

- ex. varicella

Question 22

Confluent

Answer 22

• Fusion of lesions together

- ex. Herpes simiplex

Question 23

Linear

Answer 23

• arranged in a line

- ex. Poison Ivy

Question 24

Follicular

Answer 24

• associated w/ hair follicle

- ex. bacterial infection inside hair follicle

Question 25

Guttate

Answer 25

• widely scattered
• like a drop of water
• ex. psoriasis

Question 26

Target

Answer 26

• circular
• there’s a lesion in the middle (looks like a target)
• ex. early stage of lyme disease (Erythema migrans)