Dermatology - Some Common Skin Diseases

Question 1

What are symptoms of psoriasis ?

Answer 1

• red , flaky , crusty patches of skin.
• the skin is covered with silver-coloured scales.
• the patches can be itchy or sore.

Question 2

What is the cause of psoriasis ?

Answer 2

• in normal individuals , skin cells of the epidermis arise from stem cells at the parabasal level of the skin and as the cells mature they gradually move up to the layers of the epidermis until they reach the outermost layer ( stratum Corneum) where they die and flake off. This usually takes 28-40 days. However , In this condition there is hyper proliferation of the keratinocytes - the transit time is only 2-4 days. And so the cells that accumulate at the stratum corneum have not fully matured. This leads to silvery scaly skin. And the layer of keratin is very thin.

Question 3

What are a few common triggers of the psoriasis ?

Answer 3

• injury to the skin
• drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• smoking
• stress
• hormonal changes

-

Question 4

What is eczema also known as ?

Answer 4

Atopic dermatitis

Question 5

What are the main symptoms of eczema ?

Answer 5

• dry , itchy skin , rashes

- inflammation , cracking , bleeding ( severe cases)

Question 6

What food allergies are often associated with people who have eczema ?

Answer 6

- milk 
Egg 
Peanut 
Wheat 
Soy 
Shrimp 
Fish

Question 7

What is melanoma ?

Answer 7

• a type of skin cancer that can metastasise to other organs in the body.

Question 8

What is the most common sign of melanoma ?

Answer 8

• appearance of. Anew mole or change in an existing mole.

- in men , the backs are usually affected. Whereas in women , it’s the legs.

Question 9

What is the 5th most common type of cancer in the Uk?

Answer 9

Melanoma

• more common In pale skinned people with freckles , much less common in darker skinned people.

Question 10

What are the two types of melanoma ? And what is the difference based on .

Answer 10

• based on their gross appearance
  1) nodular melanoma
  2) lentigo maligna melanoma

Question 11

Describe what nodular melanoma is ?

Answer 11

They usually appear as a changing lump on the skin.

• can appear black to red in colour.
• most commonly appear on the head , neck , chest or back.
• bleeding or oozing is a common symptom.

Question 12

Describe what a lentigo maligna melanoma looks like

Answer 12

• initially flat and develop sideways in the surface of the skin.
• look like a freckle , but much bigger and more prominent.

Question 13

Which type of individuals is melanoma more susceptible to

Answer 13

• lots of moles or freckles on the skin
• pale skin that burns easily
• red or blonde hair
• a close family who has had melanoma

Question 14

What is vitiligo?

Answer 14

A long term conditional where pale white patches develop on the skim caused by a lack of melanin in the skin.

Question 15

What areas of the body are more affected by vitiligo ?

Answer 15

• the skin around the eyes and mouth
• fingers and wrists
• Genitals
• inside the mouth
• groin

Question 16

What are the two main types of vitiligo ?

Answer 16

1) non-segmental vitiligo

2) segmental vitiligo

Question 17

Describe what non-segmental vitiligo is

Answer 17

In non-segmental
vitiligo the symptoms often appear on both sides of the body as symmetrical white patches. This often appears on the back of the hands , arms , knees , elbows.

Question 18

What is the most common type of vitiligo ?

Answer 18

• non-segmental vitiligo is the most common type of vitiligo - it affects around 9/10 people with the condition.

Question 19

What is segmental vitiligo?

Answer 19

• only affect one area of the body.
• it is localised.
• affects 3 in 10 children with vitiligo.
• more common in children than adults.

Question 20

What causes non-segmental vitiligo ?

Answer 20

• an autoimmune condition
• this is where T lymphocytes attack melanocytes ( which are found at the epidermal - dermal junction )
• this kills the melanocytes

Question 21

What increases the risk of non-segmental vitiligo ?

Answer 21

• other autoimmune diseases such as hyperthyroidism.
• other family members having it
• the presence of melanoma
• family history of other autoimmune diseases

Question 22

What is the cause of segmental vitiligo ?

Answer 22

L- thought to be caused by neurochemicals such as neuroleptic Y which is released by nerve endings in the skin.

• this causes an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species in the interstitial space that causes melanocytes to autolyse ) destroy themselves)

Question 23

What is alopecia areata?

Answer 23

• is a condition in which hair is lost from small or all areas of the body , most often on the scalp.

Question 24

What is alopecia totalis?

Answer 24

All the hair on the scalp is lost .

Question 25

What is alopecia universalis?

Answer 25

• all body hair is lost and lost can be permanent .

Question 26

What is the cause of alopecia areata ?

Answer 26

• systemic autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own Anagen hair follicles and thus suppresses or stops hair growth.

Question 27

What is hyperkeratosis?

Answer 27

Thickening of the outer layer of the skin ( the stratum corneum in the epidermis) which causes an abnormal quantity of keratin.

• this can be caused by vitamin A deficiency or exposure to arsenic.