Dermatology Flashcards
When inspecting and palpating the skin, what does this include assessment of?
- skin colour; look for changes in pigmentation, redness, pallor, cyanosis and yellowing of the skin.
-moisture
-texture. - mobility and turgor.
- characteristics of skin lesions
- finger nails and toenails.
what is pallor?
- pallor is seen on the fingernails, lips and mucous membranes particularly of the mouth and palpebral conjunctiva. in darker individuals checking the skin of the palms and soles may be useful.
what is central cyanosis?
- central cyanosis is best identified in the lips, oral mucosa and tongue. be aware darker individuals have melanin in their lips that may simulate cyanosis.
can cyanosis of the nails, hands and feet be central and peripheral in origin?
- yes.
what is jaundice?
- yellowing of the skin that can be observed in the sclera( white outer layer of the eyeball). palpebral conjunctiva, lips, hard palate, undersurface of the tongue, tympanic membrane and skin.
what to inspect when looking at moisture of skin?
- look for dryness, sweating and oiliness.
what to assess when looking at temperature?
- use the back of your hands to access the temperature of the arms and legs. not temp of red areas.
what to assess when looking at texture?
- palpate the skin for any roughness or smoothness.
what is mobility and turgor?
- lift a fold of skin on the dorsum of the hand, subclavicular fossa or anterior thigh for 3 seconds so that it is tented and then release. evaluate the ability to change shape and return to normal.
- skin with decreased turgor remains elevated after being pulled up and released.
what was abnormal subclavicular and anterior thigh turgor associated with?
Hypernatremia; a common electrolyte problem that is defined as a rise in serum sodium concentration to a value exceeding 145 mmol/L
what is a macule?
- a flat, nonpalpable circumscribed area (up to 1cm) of colour that’s brown, red, white or tan.
what is a patch?
- a flat non-palpable lesion with changes in skin colour, 1 cm or larger.
what is a papule?
a elevated palpable, firm circumscribed lesion up to 1 cm.
what is a plaque?
A elevated, flat-topped, firm, circumscribed lesion up to 1 cm.
what is a nodule?
- an elevated, firm, circumscribed, palpable area larger than 0.5 cm–> its typically deeper and firmer than a papule.
what is a cyst?
- a nodule filled with an expressible liquid of semisolid material
what is a vesicle?
- a palpable elevated, circumscribed, superficial, fluid-filled blister up to 1 cm.
what is a bulla?
- a vesicle 1cm of larger filled with serous fluid.
What is a pustule?
- which is elevated and superficial similar to a vesicle but is filled with pus.
what is a wheal?
- a relatively transient, elevated, irregularly shaped area of localized skin edema. most a red, pale pink or white.
What is a scale?
- a thin flake of dead exfoliated epidermis.
what is a crust?
- the dried residue of skin exudates such as serum, pus, or blood.