Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Physical Diagnosis > Skin > Flashcards

Skin Flashcards

1
Q

Skin Function

A
  • Keep body in homeostasis from environment.
  • Boundary for body fluids.
  • Maintain body temperature, make vitamin D.
  • Protect underlying tissues from microorganisms, harmful substances, and radiation.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Epidermis

A

Most superficial, thin, devoid of blood vessels
2 layers
- outer horny layer of dead keratinized cells
- inner cellular layer where both melanin and keratin are formed
Depends on dermis for nutrition

Serves as barrier to prevent fluid loss and infection. Contains specialized organ cells. Keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Dermis

A

Two layers of varying thickness. Provide circulation, nutrition, and support. Contains sebaceous and sweat glands, hair follicles. It merges with subq layer.
Contains specialized organs - vascular structures, nerves, mast cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, dendritic cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Subcutaneous tissue

A

Layer of loose CT beneath dermis.

Contains adipose cells, fibroblasts, hair follicle roots, blood vessels, Lymphatic vessels, nerve free endings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Hair

A

Terminal, Vellus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Nails

A

Plate, Bed, Lunule, eponychium, hyponchium, proximal, and lateral nail folds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Primary lesions

A

Macula, patch, papule, plaque, nodule, vesicle, bulla, pustule, tumor, wheal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Secondary lesions

A

May have evolved from primary lesions. Or caused by external forces or over treatment

Scale, excoriation, fissure, crust, erosion, ulcer, cicatrix, atrophy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Special skin lesion

A

Comedone, milia, cyst, burrow, lichenification, telangiectasia, petechiae, purpura

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Primary

A

Physical changes caused by disease process. Initial presentation. Not specific to a single disease

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Macule ** TQ

A

Small, flat, non-palpable lesion. Less than 1 cm diameter

Ex. Junctional nevus (birthmark), ephelides (freckles), solar lentigo (sunspots)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Patch

A

Flat, non-palpable lesion

1 cm or larger in diameter (huge macula)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Papule

A

Raised, solid lesion, small superficial, elevated above skin surface. Less than 1 cm ex pimple

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Plaque

A

Palpable lesion elevated above skin surface. 1 cm or larger in diameter ex. Psoriasis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Nodule

A

Firm lesion thicker and deeper than plaque. Huge plaque greater 0.5 cm elevation.
Ex. Huge boil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Vesicle

A

Elevated lesion with clear fluid. Less than 1 cm in diameter ex. Blister

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Bulla

A

Elevated lesion with clear fluid. Greater than 1 cm diameter (huge vesicle)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Pustule

A

Elevated lesion with pus within or beneath epidermis. Pimple with pus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Wheal/Hives

A

Slightly reddened, changing in size/shape

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Excoriation **TQ

A

Linear breaks in skin surface. Covered with blood/crusts ex. Scratch mark

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Cicatrix (scar) ***TQ

A

Hypertrophic keloid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Ulcer

A

Lesion on surface/mucosal surface. Caused by loss of tissue with inflammation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Erosion

A

Wearing away or state worn away. Shallow ulcer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Crust

A

Hard outer layer or covering. Dried serum or pus on surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Atrophy
Wasting of tissue from death/reabsorption of cells, ischemia, malnutrition, etc
26
Sclerose
To harden, undergo sclerosis (hardening)
27
Necrosis
Pathologic death from irreversible damage
28
Lichenification **** TQ!
Leathery induration and thickening of the skin
29
ABCDE’s of Melanoma ***** TQ!!
``` A - asymmetry B- border irregularity C- color D- diameter more than 6 mm E- evolution/elevation F- funny looking ```
30
Melanoma risk factors
``` HARMM History of previous melanoma Age over 50 Regular dermatology absent Mole changing Male Gender Others- freckles, light eye or skin color, red or light hair, UV radiation from heavy skin exposure sunlamps or tanning booths, 50+ common moles, family history of melanoma, and Nevis that are changing or atypical, especially if > 50 y/o ```
31
Skin color depends on
4 pigments Melanin: brownish pigment, increased with exposure to sunlight, genetically predetermined Carotene: golden yellow in subcutaneous fat and heavily keratinized areas (palms & soles) Oxyhemoglobin: bright red, predominates in arteries and capillaries Deoxyhemoglobin: darker bluer, predominates in capillaries and veins
32
Appendages of skin
Hair: vellus (short, fine, nonpigmented) or terminal (courser, thicker, conspicuous, usually pigmented) Nails: lanula (white free edge of nail plate), cuticle (seal between proximal nail fold and nail plate) Sweat glands: eccrine= everywhere (reg body temperature); apocrine = axillary and genitals (stress, stench comes from bacterial decomposition) Sebaceous glands: fatty substance produced through hair follicle = everywhere but palms and soles
33
changes in skin which represent disease - color, moisture, temperature, texture, mobility, turgor, lesions
Color: increased pigment, pigment loss, redness, pallor, cyanosis, yellowing (carotenoma), cafe-au-lait spot (macule or patch of pigmentation), tinea versicolor (infection, hypopigmented, slightly scaly macule), vitiligo (loss of pigment completely), erythema (red hue), heliotrope (purple eyelids) Moisture: dry, sweating, oiliness Temperature: general or localized warm or cool Mobility and turgor: decreased mobility, decreased turgor Lesions: acne (face, upper chest, back), psoriasis (knees, elbows), Candida Infections (genitals), vesicles in unilateral dermatomal pattern (herpes zoster), local redness (impending necrosis )
34
Changes in hair which represent symptoms of disease
Alopecia (hair loss), sparse hair, fine and silky hair
35
Changes in nails which may represent symptoms of disease
Paronchia (red, swollen, and tender nail folds), clubbing, oncholysis (enlarged nail free edge), Terry’s nails (ground glass appearance, distal band of reddish brown, obliteration of lunula), white spots (leukoychia), traverse white bands (Mees’ lines), transverse linear depressions (Beau’s lines), pitting (punctuate nail plate depressions)
36
Nail clubbing
A bulbous swelling of the soft tissue at the nail base with loss of the normal angle between the nail and the proximal nail fold (increased to 180 degrees or more), nail bed feels spongy or floating The mechanism is unknown but involves vasodilation with increased blood flow to the distal portion of the fingers and changes in CT (possibly from hypoxia). It also involves changes in innervation, genetics, or a platelet derived GF from fragments of platelet clumps Seen in congenital heart disease, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and malignancies
37
Urticaria
Aka hives, a raised, itchy wheal that is usually a sign of an allergic reaction
38
Pruritus
Clinical term for itch
39
Erythema
Red hue due to increased blood flow (ie slapped cheeks seen in 5th disease)
40
Petechiae
Small (1-3 mm) red or purple spot on the body, caused by a minor hemorrhage (broken capillary blood vessels)
41
Purpura
Red or purple discoloration on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure. Caused by bleeding underneath the skin. Purpura measure 0.3 (3 mm) - 1 cm, whereas petechiae measure less than 3 mm
42
Ecchymosis
Bruise greater than 3 mm, purple, blood outside cells
43
Scar
Connective tissue that arises from injury or disease
44
Alopecia
Round or oval patches of hair loss, usually affecting young adults and children. No visible scaling or inflammation
45
Keloid
Hypertrophic scarring extending beyond the borders of the initial injury
46
Lichenification
Visible and palpable leathery induration and thickening of the epidermis, often from chronic rubbing
47
Blanchable
When pressure applied to an area causes the area to become “white” as blood is pushed out of the blood vessel. Upon release, the blood returns to the area and the skin or nail turns pink. Blanchable lesions: - erythema - spider angioma (liver disease) - spider vein (varicosities) - cherry Angioma (benign)
48
Cyst
Nodule filled with liquid or semisolid material
49
Burrow
(Scabies) slightly raised tunnel in epidermis, short gray line
50
Fissure
A linear crack in the skin (ex athletes foot)
51
Scale
Thin flake of exfoliated epidermis
52
Burrow of scabies
A person with scabies has intense itching. Skin lesions include small papules, pustules, lichenified areas, and excoriations
53
Comedo
The common blackhead
54
Nevus
The common mole
55
Telangiectasias
Dilated small vessels (can be venues, arterioles, including spider angioma or capillaries) that look either red or bluish (ex spider angioma, spider vein)
56
Spider angioma- color, size, shape pulsatility, effect of pressure, distribution, significance
Color: Fiery red Size: From very small to 2 cm Shape: Central body, sometimes raised, surrounded by erythema and radiating legs Pulsatility: Often demonstrable in the body of the spider, when pressure with a glass slide is applied Effect of pressure: Pressure not he body causes blanching of the spider Distribution: Face, neck, arms, upper trunk; almost never below the waist Significance: liver disease, pregnancy, vitamin B deficiency, also occurs normally in some people
57
Spider vein- color, size, shape pulsatility, effect of pressure, distribution, significance
Color: bluish Size: variable, from very small to several inches Shape: variable. May resemble a spider or be linear, irregular, cascading Pulsatility: absent Effect of pressure: pressure over the center does not cause blanching, but diffuse pressure blanches the veins. Distribution: most often on the legs, near veins; also on the anterior chest Significance: often accompanies increased pressure in the superficial veins, as in varicose veins
58
Cherry angioma- color, size, shape pulsatility, effect of pressure, distribution, significance
Color: bright or ruby red, brownish with age Size: 1-3 mm Shape: round, flat, or sometimes raised, may be surrounded by a pale halo Pulsatility: absent Effect of pressure: may show partial blanching, especially if pressure is applied with the edge of a pinpoint Distribution: trunk, also extremities Significance: none; increase in size and numbers with aging
59
Petechiae/purpura- color, size, shape pulsatility, effect of pressure, distribution, significance
Color: deep red, reddish, purple Size: petechia, 1-3 mm; purpura- larger Shape: rounded, sometimes irregular; flat Pulsatility: absent Effect of pressure: none Distribution: variable Significance: blood outside the vessels; may suggest a bleeding disorder or if petechiae, emboli to skin
60
Ecchymosis- color, size, shape pulsatility, effect of pressure, distribution, significance
Color: purple, purplish blue, fading to green, yellow, brown Size: variable, larger than petechiae Shape: rounded, oval, or irregular; may have a central subq flat nodule (hematoma) Pulsatility: absent Effect of pressure: none Distribution: variable Significance: blood outside the vessels; often secondary to bruising or trauma; also seen in bleeding disorders
61
Squamous cell carcinoma
May develop in conjunction with an actinic keratosis; firm, red
62
Basal cell carcinoma
Initially translucent nodule; spreads; leaves a depressed center with a firm elevated border

Physical Diagnosis (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions