Identifying a one-sided lesion as a tumor or infection

Question 1

How to differentiate tumors and infections from less urgent diagnoses?

Answer 1

1. Check the other side - ONE SIDED = Tumour / infection
2. Notice the distribution - SOLITARY = Tumour / infection

Question 2

What is melanoma?

Answer 2

1. Uncontrolled growth of melanocytes

Question 3

Melanoma typically has the following features:

Answer 3

1. Brown or pigmented tumor
2. Asymmetric in shape or form
3. Often exhibits more than one color
4. Typically shows some type of change or growth

Question 4

What is the most common form of skin cancer?

Answer 4

BCC

Question 5

What type of cancer is BCC?

Answer 5

1. Locally invasive cancer
2. Arises from the follicular or basal keratinocytes in the epidermis

Question 6

Fts of BCC:

Answer 6

1. Non-pigmented
2. Solitary
3. Expansile
4. Often with elevated borders
5. Typically ulcerated in the center

Question 7

What is impetigo?

Answer 7

1. Highly contagious
2. Superficial bacterial skin infection

Question 8

Fts of impetigo:

Answer 8

1. Pustules
2. Honey-colored crusted erosions

Question 9

What is tinea?

Answer 9

Superficial fungal infection of the skin

Question 10

Fts of tinea:

Answer 10

1. Characteristic ring-shaped lesions
2. The lesions are often itchy

Question 11

What is Lyme disease?

Answer 11

1. Tick-transmitted infection
2. Caused by the Borrelia bacterial species.

Question 12

Fts of Lyme disease:

Answer 12

1. 7 to 14 days after the infected tick bite - a red, expanding patch of skin appears
2. Erythema migrans

Question 13

Fts of Herpes Simplex:

Answer 13

1. Localised blistering
2. Triggered by febrile disease - cold