Dermatology - descriptive terminology

Question 1

What is a macule?

Answer 1

Small flat area of altered colour/ texture (e.g. freckle)

Question 2

What is a patch?

Answer 2

Larger flat area of altered colour/ texture (e.g. large patch of vitiligo)

Question 3

What is a papule?

Answer 3

Small raised lesion (e.g. acne)

Question 4

What does maculopapular mean?

Answer 4

Combination of macules and papules

Question 5

What is a plaque?

Answer 5

Larger raised lesion (e.g. psoriasis)

Question 6

What is a nodule?

Answer 6

Larger raised lesion with deeper component (e.g. nodular erythema nodosum)

Question 7

What is a vesicle?

Answer 7

Small clear blister

Question 8

What is a bulla?

Answer 8

Large clear blister

Question 9

What is a wheal?

Answer 9

Transient raised lesion due to dermal oedema (e.g. urticaria)

Question 10

What is a pustule?

Answer 10

Pus containing blister (e.g. acute paronychia - infected skin around nail)

Question 11

What is an excoriation?

Answer 11

Scratch mark

Question 12

What is lichenification?

Answer 12

Roughening of the skin (e.g. atopic dermatitis)

Question 13

What are scales?

Answer 13

Flakes of dead skin

Question 14

What is a crust?

Answer 14

Dry mass of exudates

Question 15

What is an erosion?

Answer 15

Superficial loss of part of epidermis

Question 16

What is an ulcer?

Answer 16

Deeper loss of skin surface extending into dermis

Question 17

What is a fissure?

Answer 17

A deep crack/ split

Question 18

How can the colour of a rash be described (3)?

Answer 18

• Hyper/ hypo pigmented
• Erythematous
• Purpuric = purple (due to blueing under skin)

Question 19

How can the distribution/ pattern of a rash be described (4)?

Answer 19

• Linear
• Generalised
• Localised
• (A)symmetrical

Question 20

How is the texture of a rash described (2)?

Answer 20

• Smooth
• Rough