Dermatology (Skin Diseases) Flashcards
What name would you give to a small lump of <5mm and to a large lump (5-10mm)?
Small - papule
Larger - nodule
What names are given to small water blisters and large water blisters?
Small - vesicle
Large - Bulla
What is the medical name for redness of the skin?
Erythema
What are the 3 flat lesions and how can these be described in layman’s terms?
Macule - non palpable area of discoloration.
Patch - macule >2cm
Plaque - palpable, flat topped area >2cm.
Palpable means you are able to feel it.
What is the medical term for a scratch?
Excoriations
What is the medical term for a stretch?
Striae
What is the medical term for an itch?
Pruritus
What is the medical term for thread veins visible on the skin?
Telangiectasia
What is the medical term for scaling of the skin?
Ichthyosis
What are the terms for the loss of the epidermis and for the loss of both the epidermis and dermis together?
Loss of epidermis =Erosion
Loss of epidermis and dermis = ulcer
What is the medical term used to describe thickening of the skin with exaggerated skin markings?
Lichenification
What is the medical term for bruising?
Ecchymoses
What are the medical terms used to describe too much hair and too little hair?
Too much - hirsuitim
Too little - alopecia
What 3 major events lead to the process of inflammation?
- vasodilation
- Influx of leukocytes
- Increased microvascular permeability resulting in production of a protein rich exudate.
What is psoriasis?
- A skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silver coloured scales.
- Patches normally appear on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back.
What causes psoriasis?
Caused by problems with the immune system - T cells attack dividing cells.
What type of disease is psoriasis?
- An autoimmune disease (probably inherited - family members often also suffer from disease).
What are common triggers of psoriasis?
- injury to skin e.g. a cut.
- drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
- smoking
- hormonal changes (puberty and menopause in women).
- certain medicines (e.g. lithium or antimalarials).
- other immune disorders (e.g. HIV)
What are some key features of psoriasis?
- Reduced ‘epidermal transit time’ - skin cells are replaced more quickly than normal. Cells that are not yet fully mature accumulate an keratin is lost.
- normal = 3-4 weeks
- with psoriasis = 3-7 days
- Thickening of epidermal layer.
- Increased vascularity of the upper dermis (causes skin redness).
What is another name for eczema?
Atopic dermatitis
What are the main symptoms of eczema?
- Red, dry, itchy and cracked skin.
- Inflammation, bleeding and pain in extreme cases.
- Usually found in skin creases (e.g. back of the knee or on the inside of the elbows).
What causes eczema?
- internal: asthma or seasonal allergies.
- external: stress, contact with soaps or detergents.
What is malignant melanoma and what are the signs to look out for?
- A type of skin cancer that can metatasise to other organs in the body.
- Sign: Appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole.
What are some of the risk factors for malignant melanomas?
- Sun exposure
- Type of skin (pale skin with freckles more at risk than darker skin).
- genetic predisposition to melanoma.
- non inherited mutations
What are the two main types of malignant melanomas?
- nodular melanomas - changing lump on skin, black/red in colour. Commonly occur on head, neck, chest and back and bleeding is a common sign.
- Lentigo maligna melanomas - flat and develop sideways, may gradually get bigger and change shape. Can grow downwards into deeper layers of skin.
How would you treat a malignant melanoma?
- remove it
- radiotherapy
- chemotherapy
What is vitiligo?
A long term skin condition where pale white patches develop on the skin caused by a lack of melanin.
What areas of the body are most commonly affected by vitiligo?
- skin around the mouth and eyes.
- fingers and wrists
- armpits
- groin
- genitals
- inside of the mouth
What is non-segmented vitiligo? What is segmented vitiligo?
- Symptoms appear on both sides of the body as symmetrical white patches.
- Patches only affect one area of the body.
- Segmented vitiligo is less common and usually starts earlier than segmented vitiligo.
What are the most common causes for segmented and non-segmented vitiligo?
Non - segmented - autoimmune condition ( T-cells attack healthy melanocytes and kill them).
Segmented - thought to be caused by neurochemicals (neuropeptide Y) which causes melanocytes to autolyse.
What is alopecia areata and what causes it?
- Hair is lost from some areas of the body, most often the scalp (spot baldness).
- Cause: autoimmune
What is acne and what are alternative term for open and closed comedones?
- skin condition that affects the sebaceous glands.
- Open comedones = blackheads
- Closed comedones = whiteheads
