Integumentary System Introduction Flashcards
1
Q
Pruritus
A
- severe itching
- treatment depends on precipitating factors
- is not a disease process but a symptom, so never just treat the pruritus without looking for its cause
- may be a symptom of emotional factors
2
Q
Layers of the skin
A
- Epidermis
- Dermis
- Subcutaneous layer
3
Q
Epidermis Layer
A
- made up of stratified squamous epithelial cells
- the avascular outermost layers of cells in the skin
- acts as the body’s major barrier against an inhospitable environment
- regulates the amount of water lost from the body
- thinest at the eyelids (0.05 mm)
- thickest at the palms and soles (1.5 mm)
4
Q
Dermis Layer
A
- layer between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues
- consists of connective tissue
- acts as the cushion for the body from stress and strain
- tightly connected to the epidermis through a basement membrane
- structural components are collagen, elastic fibers, and extrafibrillar matrix
- contains receptors that provide the sense of touch and heat
- contains hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands, lymphatic vessels, and blood vessels that provide nourishment and waste removal for both dermal and epidermal cells
5
Q
Subcutaneous Layer
A
- innermost layer of skin
- cells found in this layer are fibroblasts, adipose tissue, and macrophages
- used mainly for fat storage
6
Q
Types of descriptions for primary skin lesions
A
- papule
- macule
- nodule
- patch
- vesicle
- bulla
- plaque
- cyst
- wheal
- pustule
- tumor
7
Q
Flat Lesions
A
- Macule
- Patch
- Telangiectasia
8
Q
Macule
A
- flat, circumscribed
- non-palpable
- smaller than 1 cm
9
Q
Macule Examples
A
- Freckles
- Measles
- Petechiae
10
Q
Patch
A
- larger than a macule
- flat, non-palpable
- larger than 1 cm
11
Q
Patch Example
A
- A herald patch with Pityriasis Rosea
- Port wine stains
- Cafe-au-lait spots
12
Q
Telangiectasia
A
- fine, irregular red lines produced by capillary dilation
- blanch with pressure
13
Q
Telangiectasia Example
A
- Rosacea
14
Q
Papule
A
- small palpable circumscribed lesion
- less than 0.5 cm
15
Q
Papule Examples
A
- Warts
- Basal cell carcinoma
16
Q
Plaque
A
- large, flat-topped elevated palpable lesion
- 1 cm or larger
17
Q
Plaque Example
A
- Psoriasis
18
Q
Nodule
A
- large papule
- greater than 0.5 cm
19
Q
Nodule Example
A
- Moles
20
Q
Tumor
A
- palpable lesion larger than 2 cm
- can be:
* soft or firm masses
* freely movable or fixed
* various sizes and shapes
21
Q
Wheal
A
- slightly irregular, relatively transient, superficial area of localized skin edema
21
Q
Tumor Examples
A
- Neurofibroma
- Lipoma
- Neuroplasms
- Neoplasms
22
Q
Wheal Examples
A
- hives
- mosquito bites
- TB skin test
23
Q
Vesicle
A
- small fluid-filled, elevated lesion
- 1 cm or less in size
24
Q
Vesicle Examples
A
- Blisters
- Shingles
25
Q
Bulla
A
- a large, elevated fluid-filled blister
- 1 cm or greater in size
26
Q
Cyst
A
- cavity containing solid (pilar) or liquid (epidermal)
- comedone is a punctate papule/cyst and may have an open orifice (blackhead) or a closed orifice (whitehead)
27
Q
Cyst Examples
A
- acne
- dermoid cyst
28
Q
Pustule
A
- yellowish white pus-filled lesion
- similar to a vesicle (a pustule contains only pus vs. clear serous fluid in a vesicle)
29
Q
Pustule Examples
A
- acne
- small boil
30
Q
Crust
A
- dried residue of serum, pus, or blood
- occurs when there has been damage to the epithelium and plasma has been exuded
- a crust or eschar (scab) is dried plasma protein
- may vary in color
- occurs in pustular, vesicular, or bullous eruptions
- the primary lesion may be difficult to discern
31
Q
Scale
A
- buildup of the stratum corneum
- dead keratinocytes that should have been sloughed but have become adherent to the skin surfaces
- secondary imbalances between normal production or maturation process and loss of keratinocytes
32
Q
Scale Examples
A
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Pitaryiasis rosea
- Psoriasis
33
Q
Keloid
A
- irregular, elevated, progressively enlarging scar
34
Q
Depressed Lesions Descriptions
A
- Excoriation
- Fissure
- Erosion
- Ulcer
35
Q
Excoriation
A
- loss of the epidermis
- linear, hollowed out
- can result from scratching from an insect bite or just pruritis
36
Q
Fissure
A
- linear crack or break from the epidermis to the dermis
- may be wet or dry
37
Q
Fissure examples
A
- athlete’s foot
- cracks at the corner of mouth
- cracked lips
38
Q
Erosion
A
- loss of all or part of the epidermis
- depressed, moist, glistening
- follows rupture of a vesicle or bulla
39
Q
Erosion Examples
A
- Varicella
- blisters
40
Q
Ulcer
A
- loss of epidermis and dermis
- concave
- varies in size
41
Q
Ulcer Examples
A
- Decubitus or stasis ulcers
- syphilis chancre
- spider bites
