Skin Flashcards
Molluscum contagiosum

- Poxvirus (DNA virus) in children
- Bowl-shaped lesion filled with keratin, molluscum bodies (viral particles)
- Disseminates with HIV
Rubeola (measles)

- Paramyxovirus (RNA)
- Cold Sx, conjunctivitis
- Koplik spots on buccal mucosa (white spots w/ erythematous base)
- …followed by maculopapular rash on head —> trunk —> extremities as T cells damage virus-infected endothelial cells
- Complications: giant cell PNA, acute appy, otitis media, encephalitis
Rubella

- Togavirus (RNA)
- Forchheimer spots (red spots on posterior palate)
- Maculopapular rash lasting 3 days beginning at hairline, discrete lesions
- Painful postauricular lymphadenopathy
- Polyarthritis in adults
- Infection in first trimester may lead to congenital anomalies
Erythema infectiosum

- Parvovirus B19 (DNA)
- Children
- Net-like erythema starting on cheeks (“slapped face” appearance)
- Polyarthritis in adults
Roseola infantum

- HHV6 (DNA)
- Children
Varicella zoster

- Positive Tzanck test (multinucleated giant cells)
- Children: Reye syndrome w/ ASA (encephalitis); PNA; cerebellitis
- Adults: PNA, hepatitis, encephalitis
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

- Coxsackievirus
- Young children
- Vesicular rash on hands, feet, mouth
Toxic shock syndrome

- Staph aureus
- TSST toxin: superantigen
- Desquamating, sunburn-like rash
Hidradenitis suppurativa

- Staph aureus, chronic
- Inflamed apocrine glands in axillae and groin
- Sinus tracts from abscesses
Impetigo

- Often staph aureus
- Vesiculo-pustular rash begins on face, often with bullae
- Highly contagious
Scalded skin syndrome

- Staph aureus with exfoliatin toxin
- Fever, large bullae
- Skin sloughs off, electrolytes lost
- Treat with nafcillin
Staph aureus appearance and treatment
- Gram-positive coccus in clusters
- Bactrim, vancomycin
Scarlet fever

- Strep pyogenes
- Erythematous sandpapery rash on tongue, face—>neck—>body (spares mouth)
- White exudate w/ red papillae on tongue later fades, leaving it beefy: strawberry tongue
- Rash disappears after 6 days, desquamation for up to 10 days after
- Increased risk of post-strep glomerulonephritis
Strep pyogenes appearance
Gram-positive coccus in chains
Erysipelas

- Strep pyogenes
- Type of cellulitis
- Orange peel-like surface with raised borders
- Face, lower extremities
- Penicillin G for extremities, vanco for face
Leprosy

- Mycobacterium leprae (can’t be cultured)
- Tuberculoid type w/ intact cellular immunity: granulomas; positive lepromin skin test; localized skin lesions with nerve involvement (digital autoamputation, hypopigmented skin with anesthesia); treat with dapsone and rifampin
- Lepromatous type w/ impaired cellular immunity: many bacteria in foamy macrophages in subepidermal (Grenz) zone; negative lepromin skin test; leonine facies; dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine
Acne vulgaris
- Chronic inflammation of pilosebaceous unit
- Inflammatory type: abnormal keratinization of follicular epithelium, increased sebum production (androgen-dependent), Propionibacterium acnes converts sebum into irritating FAs
Tinea capitis

- Trichophyton tonsurans: most common in black population, negative Wood lamp test (infects inner hair shaft)
- Microsporum canis and audouinii: most common in whites, positive Wood lamp test
- Circular areas of alopecia
- Oral terbinafine, NOT topical azoles
Tinea corporis

- Trichophyton rubrum
- Raised border w/ central clearing
Tinea pedis

- Trichophyton rubrum
- Macerated scaling rash b/w toes
- Diffuse plantar scaling (“moccasin” appearance) in elderly
Tinea cruris

- Trichophyton rubrum
- Elevated borders WITHOUT central clearing
Tinea unguium (onychomycosis)

- Trichophyton rubrum or mentagrophytes
- Nail is raised and discolored
- Nail plate is white, thick, crumbly
- Oral terbinafine (topical azoles do NOT work)
- Onychomycosis may also be caused by candida albicans
Tinea versicolor

- Malassezia furfur
- Hyper- or hypopigmentation
- Accentuated by Wood lamp
- “Spaghetti and meatballs” appearance on KOH mount
- Single dose of oral ketoconazole
Intertrigo

- Candida albicans
- Erythematous rash in body folds (“diaper rash”)
Seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)

- Malassezia furfur
- Associated w/ Parkinson’s, AIDS
- Scaly, yellowish, greasy dermatitis
- Scalp, eyebrows, nasal creases (“cradle cap” in neonates)
Sporotrichosis

- Sporothrix schenckii
- Subcutaneous
- Thermal dimorph
- Traumatic implantation (ex. rose gardening, sphagnum peat moss)
- Chain of suppurating lymphocutaneous nodules
- Treat with oral itraconazole
Cutaneous larva migrans

- Ancylostoma braziliense (nematode)
- Dog and cat hookworm; humans are intermediate host
- Contracted by children from cat/dog waste in sandboxes
- Larvae create serpiginous tunnels in skin
- Treat with albendazole
Chiggers

- Small red mite
- Papular, urticarial, or vesicular rash
- Legs and areas of tight-fitting clothes
Human itch mite (scabies)

- Sarcoptes scabiei or hominis
- Burrows between fingers; also at wrists, nipples, scrotum
- Females lay eggs, inducing pruritis
- In adults: intertriginous areas
- In infants: no burrows; rash on palms, soles, face, or head
- Permethrin cream
Bedbugs

- Cimex lectularius
- Feed on human blood, active before dawn
- Allergic rxn to saliva causes wheals
Ehrlichiosis
- Ehrlichia chaffeensis
- Obligate intraleukocytic parasite
- Southeast, south central, mid-Atlantic US
- Reservoir in deer
- Morula (inclusion) in monocyte cytoplasm; Anaplasma species infects granulocytes
- Fever, meningoencephalitis, myalgia, rash, hepatosplenomegaly (children), edema (children)
- Treat with doxy
Solar lentigo

- Elderly
- Brown macules on sun-exposed areas due to increased # of melanocytes
Vitiligo

- Black population
- Autoimmune destruction of melanocytes
- Associated w/ other autoimmune conditions
Melasma

- Women
- Macular, hyperpigmented lesions lesions on face
- Exacerbated by OCPs, pregnancy, sunlight
- Treat w/ hydroquinone (bleaching agent)
Dysplastic nevus
- May or may not develop into malignant melanoma
- >6mm, erythematous background, irregular borders
- Dysplastic nevus syndrome: >100 nevi on skin, often develop into melanoma
Malignant melanoma
- Avg age 53 yrs
- Risk factors: UV light exposure, FHx, dysplastic nevus syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum
- Radial growth phase: proliferation within epidermis and papillary dermis, NO metastatic potential
- Vertical growth phase: penetration into reticular dermis
- Superficial spreading melanoma: 70% of cases
- Lentigo maligna: sun-exposed face, good prognosis
- Nodular melanoma: sun-exposed area, no radial growth phase, poor prognosis
- Acral lentiginous melanoma: NOT related to sun, happens on palm, sole, or nail bed, poor prognosis
Seborrheic keratosis

- Adults >50 yrs
- Benign pigmented epidermal tumor
- “Stuck-on” appearance
- Leser-Trélat sign: rapid increase in keratoses from stomach adenocarcinoma
Acanthosis nigricans

- Velvety, pigmented skin
- Neck, axilla, groin, under breasts
- Excess insulin
Keratoacanthoma

- Males
- Crateriform tumor w/ central keratin plug grows over 4-6 weeks
- Sun-exposed area
- ? well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma
Epidermal inclusion cyst (follicular cyst)

- Epidermis of hair follicle
- Face, base of ears, trunk
- Produces keratin mixed w/ lipid-rich debris
Pilar cyst (wen)

- Hair root sheath
- Scalp and face
- Cyst wall lacks stratum granulosum; keratin has laminated appearance
Fibroepithelial polyp

- Elderly
- Skin tag on neck, upper chest, upper back
Actinic (solar) keratosis

- Prolonged UV exposure
- Precursor of SCC
- Hyperkeratotic, pearly gray-white appearance of face, neck, dorsum of hands/forearms
- Topical 5-FU
Basal cell carcinoma

- Chronic UV exposure
- Raised papule or nodule with central crater
- Inner canthus of eye, upper lip
- Locally aggressive, doesn’t metastasize
- Multifocal in origin
- Cords of basophilic-staining basal cells on biopsy
Squamous cell carcinoma

- Risk factors: UV light, actinic keratosis, arsenic exposure, 3rd-degree burn, chronically draining sinus tract, immunosuppression
- Scaly to nodular ulcerated lesions
- Ears, lower lip, dorsal hands
- Minimal metastasis risk
- Topical 5-FU
Ichthyosis vulgaris

- Autosomal dominant
- Keratinization defect: absent stratum granulosum, thick stratum corneum
- Hyperkeratotic, dry skin on palms, soles, extensor areas
Xerosis

- Elderly
- Decreased skin lipids
Eczema

- Acute: weeping, erythematous, vesicular rash
- Chronic: hyperkeratotic skin from scratching
- Atopic dermatitis: type I IgE hypersensitivity rxn; children: cheeks etc.; adults: hands, eyelids, elbows, knees
- Contact dermatitis: type IV hypersensitivity rxn
Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus

- DNA-antiDNA immunocomplexes deposit in basement membrane
- Positive immunofluorescence
- Butterfly rash, alopecia
- Treat with antimalarials
Pemphigus vulgarus

- IgG vs desmosomes b/w keratinocytes, type II hypersensitivity
- Vesicles and bullae on skin and oral mucosa
- Basal cells look like tombstones
- Nikolsky sign: outer epidermis easily separates from basal layer
Bullous pemphigoid

- IgG vs basement membrane, type II hypersensitivity
- Subepidermal vesicles on skin and oral mucosa
- Negative Nikolsky
Dermatitis herpetiformis

- IgA-antiIgA complexes (type III hypersensitivity) deposit in dermal papillae, causing subepidermal vesicles with neutrophils
- Strong association w/ celiac
- Treat with dapsone or sulfapyridine
Lichen planus

- Pruritic, scaly, violaceous, flat-topped papules with Wickham striae; wrists & ankles
- Dystrophic nails, oral mucosa involved
- Women > men
- Slight SCC risk
- Associated with hep C
Psoriasis

- HLA association
- Adolescents or ~60 yr olds
- Keratinocyte hyperplasia
- Aggravated by strep pharyngitis, HIV, drugs (lithium, beta blockers, NSAIDs)
- Thickened stratum corneum w/ nuclei retention and neutrophils; elongation of rete pegs of basal layer; extension of papillary dermis close to surface epithelium
- Auspitz sign: blood vessels in dermis rupture when scales are picked off
Pityriasis rosea

- Herald patch: single, large, oval, scaly, rose-colored plaque on trunk (can be misdiagnosed as tinea)
- Later, papular eruption on trunk (“Christmas tree” distribution
- UV light therapy hastens resolution
Erythema multiforme

- Type IV hypersensitivity
- Triggered by Mycolplasma pneumoniae, HSV, sulfonamides, penicillin, barbiturates, phenytoin
- Targetoid vesicles and bullae on palms, soles, extensor surfaces
Stevens-Johnson syndrome

- Type IV hypersensitivity
- Erosions of mucous membranes, blistering of skin macules
Toxic epidermal necrolysis syndrome

- Commonly drug-induced
- Can overlap with Steven-Johnson
- Necrosis and bullous detachment of epidermis and mucous membranes —> GI bleeding, resp failure, GU complications
Erythema nodosum

- Inflammation of subQ fat
- Raised, erythematous, painful nodules
- Associations: coccidiodomycosis, histoplasmosis, TB, leprosy, strep pharyngitis, Yersinia, sarcoidosis, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy, OCPs
Granuloma annulare

- Chronic
- Children, adult women
- Erythematous papules —> annular plaques
- Histiocytes around mucin
- Dorsal hands and feet; dissemination may occur with DM
Porphyria cutanea tarda

- Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase deficiency
- Wine-red urine with uroporphyrin I
- Photosensitive bullous skin lesions (metabolite depositions), hyperpigmentation, fragile skin, hypertrichosis
- Sunlight, hep C, alcohol, OCPs, iron
Acne rosacea

- Inflammation of facial pilosebaceous units
- Demodex folliculorum mite
- Alcohol, stress, spicy foods exacerbate
- Sebaceous gland hyperplasia w/ enlarged nose
- Treat w/ topical metronidazole or systemic isotetrinoin or tetracycline
Pyoderma gangrenosum

- Small papule that ulcerates and enlarges; violaceous border overhangs ulcer crater
- Often associated w/ systemic disease like Crohns, myeloproliferative disease, autoimmune diseases
- Neutrophil dysfunction
- May be triggered by trauma
- Treat w/ steroids, TNF-alpha inhibitors, cyclosporine
Erythema toxicum

- Neonates
- Benign eruptions all over EXCEPT palms and soles
Sebaceous hyperplasia
- Neonates
- Profuse yellow-white papules
Milia

- Neonates
- Pearly white papules containing laminated keratin material
- Face, gingiva
Miliaria

- Neonates
- Retained sweat in occluded glands
- Crystallina: pinpoint clear vesicles in large eruptions; associated w/ warmth or fever
- Rubra: small erythematous papulovesicles; also responds to cooling
Mongolian spot

- Neonates w/ dark skin
- Blue-gray spots on buttocks, back, shoulders, legs
Alopecia areata

- Young adults
- May have autoimmune or FHx association
- Hair loss in well-circumscribed round patches over weeks
- Treat w/ clobetasol, triamcinolone