General Terminology

Question 1

Pruritus

Answer 1

Itching

Question 2

Lesion

Answer 2

An area of altered skin

Question 3

Rash

Answer 3

An eruption

Question 4

Naevus

Answer 4

A localised malformation of tissue structures

e.g. a mole

Question 5

Comedone

Answer 5

A plug in a sebaceous follicle containing altered sebum, bacteria and cellular debris; can present as either open (blackheads) or closed (whiteheads)

Question 6

Generalised

Answer 6

All over the body

Question 7

Widespread

Answer 7

Extensive

Question 8

Localised

Answer 8

Restricted to one area of skin only

Question 9

Flexural

Answer 9

Body folds

i.e. groin, neck, behind ears, popliteal and antecubital fossa

Question 10

Extensor

Answer 10

Knees, elbows, shins

Question 11

Pressure areas

Answer 11

Sacrum, buttocks, ankles, heels

Question 12

Dermatome

Answer 12

An area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve

Question 13

Photosensitive

Answer 13

Affects sun-exposed areas such as face, neck and back of hands.

e.g. Sunburn

Question 14

Köebner Phenomenon

Answer 14

A linear eruption arising at site of trauma.

e.g. Psoriasis

Question 15

Discrete

Answer 15

Individual lesions separated from each other

Question 16

Confluent

Answer 16

Lesions merging together

Question 17

Target

Answer 17

Concentric rings (like a dartboard).

e.g. Erythema multiforme

Question 18

Annular

Answer 18

Like a circle or ring

e.g. Tinea corporis (‘ringworm’)

Question 19

Discoid / Nummular

Answer 19

A coin-shaped/round lesion.

e.g. Discoid eczema

Question 20

Erythema

Answer 20

Redness (due to inflammation and vasodilatation) which blanches on pressure.

e.g. Palmar erythema

Question 21

Purpura

Answer 21

Red or purple colour (due to bleeding into the skin or mucous membrane) which does not blanch on pressure – petechiae (small pinpoint macules) and ecchymoses (larger bruise-like patches).

e.g. Henoch-Schönlein purpura (palpable small vessel vasculitis)

Question 22

Hypo-pigmentation

Answer 22

Area(s) of paler skin.

e.g. Pityriasis versicolor
(a superficial fungus infection)

Question 23

Depigmentation

Answer 23

White skin due to absence of melanin

e.g. Vitiligo
(loss of skin melanocytes)

Question 24

Hyper-pigmentation

Answer 24

Darker skin which may be due to various causes (e.g. post-inflammatory)

e.g. Melasma
(increased melanin pigmentation)

Question 25

Macule

Answer 25

A flat area of altered colour.

e.g. Freckles

Question 26

Patch

Answer 26

Larger flat area of altered colour or texture.

e.g. Vascular malformation
(naevus flammeus / ‘port wine stain’)

Question 27

Papule

Answer 27

Solid raised lesion < 0.5cm in diameter.

e.g. Xanthomata

Question 28

Nodule

Answer 28

Solid raised lesion >0.5cm in diameter with a deeper component.

e.g. Pyogenic granuloma (granuloma telangiectaticum)

Question 29

Plaque

Answer 29

Palpable scaling raised lesion >0.5cm in diameter.

e.g. Psorasis

Question 30

Vesicle (small blister)

Answer 30

Raised, clear fluid-filled lesion <0.5cm in diameter.

e.g. Acute hand eczema

Question 31

Bulla

Answer 31

Raised, clear fluid-filled lesion >0.5cm in diameter

e.g. Reaction to insect bites

Question 32

Pustule

Answer 32

Pus-containing lesion <0.5cm in diameter.

e.g. Acne

Question 33

Abcess

Answer 33

Localised accumulation of pus in the dermis or subcutaneous tissues.

e.g. Periungual abscess (acute paronychia)

Question 34

Wheal

Answer 34

Transient raised lesion due to dermal oedema.

e.g. Urticaria

Question 35

Boil/Furuncle

Answer 35

Staphylococcal infection around or within a hair follicle

Question 36

Carbuncle

Answer 36

Staphylococcal infection of adjacent hair follicles (multiple boils/furuncles)

Question 37

Excoriation

Answer 37

Loss of epidermis following trauma.

e.g. Excoriations in eczema

Question 38

Lichenification

Answer 38

Well-defined roughening of skin with accentuation of skin markings.

e.g. Lichenification due to chronic rubbing in eczema

Question 39

Scales

Answer 39

Flakes of stratum corneum.

e.g. Psoriasis (showing silvery scales)

Question 40

Crust

Answer 40

Rough surface consisting of dried serum, blood, bacteria and cellular debris that has exuded through an eroded epidermis (e.g. from a burst blister).

e.g. Impetigo

Question 41

Scar

Answer 41

New fibrous tissue which occurs post-wound healing, and may be atrophic (thinning), hypertrophic (hyperproliferation within wound boundary), or keloidal (hyperproliferation beyond wound boundary).

e.g. Keloid scars

Question 42

Ulcer

Answer 42

Loss of epidermis and dermis (heals with scarring).

e.g. Leg ulcer

Question 43

Fissure

Answer 43

An epidermal crack often due to excess dryness.

e.g. Eczema

Question 44

Striae

Answer 44

Linear areas which progress from purple to pink to white, with the histopathological appearance of a scar (associated with excessive steroid usage and glucocorticoid production, growth spurts and pregnancy)

Question 45

Alopecia

Answer 45

Loss of hair

Alopecia areata
(well-defined patch of complete hair loss)

Question 46

Hirsutism

Answer 46

Androgen-dependent hair growth in a female

Question 47

Hypertrichosis

Answer 47

Non-androgen dependent pattern of excessive hair growth.

e.g. in pigmented naevi, Hypertrichosis

Question 48

Clubbing

Answer 48

Loss of angle between the posterior nail fold and nail plate (associations include suppurative lung disease, cyanotic heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and idiopathic)

Question 49

Koilonychia

Answer 49

Spoon-shaped depression of the nail plate
(associations include iron-deficiency anaemia, congenital and idiopathic).

e.g. Koilonychia

Question 50

Onycholysis

Answer 50

Separation of the distal end of the nail plate from nail bed (associations include trauma, psoriasis, fungal nail infection and hyperthyroidism)

Question 51

Pitting

Answer 51

Punctate depressions of the nail plate

(associations include psoriasis, eczema and alopecia areata)