Skin Examination

Question 1

What are you looking for when you assess distribution of skin disease?

Answer 1

Which areas are affected

Question 2

What are you looking for when you assess configuration of skin disease?

Answer 2

How lesions are arranged (symmetrical, unilateral etc.)

Question 3

What are you looking for when you assess morphology of skin disease?

Answer 3

What the lesion(s) look like

Question 4

What is onycholyisis?

Answer 4

Separation of the nail from the nail bed

Question 5

What is hypertrichosis?

Answer 5

Excessive hair growth

Question 6

What is hirsutism?

Answer 6

Male pattern hair growth in women

Question 7

What is alopecia?

Answer 7

Hair loss (localised or generalised)

Question 8

When would a rash be described as purpura?

Answer 8

Red, does not blanche, may be raised

Question 9

What is petechia?

Answer 9

1-2mm of flat purpura

Question 10

When would a rash be described as erythema?

Answer 10

Red, blanches on pressure

Question 11

Hypopigmentation of skin is caused by excess melanin. True/False?

Answer 11

False

Caused by low melanin

Question 12

What would you call a flat lesion that’s less than 1cm?

Answer 12

Macule e.g. freckle

Question 13

What would you call a flat lesion that’s more than 1cm?

Answer 13

Patch e.g. birth mark

Question 14

What would you call a raised lesion that’s less than 0.5cm?

Answer 14

Papule

Question 15

What would you call a raised lesion that’s more than 0.5cm?

Answer 15

Nodule e.g. bcc (most common cancer ever)

Question 16

What would you call a raised + flat lesion that’s greater than 1cm?

Answer 16

Plaque e.g. psoriasis

Question 17

What is a wheal?

Answer 17

Compressible dermal swelling

NO FLUID

Question 18

What would you called a fluid-filled raised lesion less than 0.5cm?

Answer 18

Vesicle e.g. chicken pox, herpes

Question 19

What would you called a fluid-filled raised lesion more than 0.5cm?

Answer 19

Bulla

Question 20

What is a cyst?

Answer 20

Nodule containing semi-solid material

Question 21

What is a pustule?

Answer 21

Pus-filled raised lesion

Question 22

What do you call a break in epidermis? (superficial)

Answer 22

Erosion

Question 23

What do you call a break into dermis? (deep)

Answer 23

Ulcer

Question 24

What is intertrigo?

Answer 24

Macerated red plaques that develop in the body folds.

Question 25

What is a scale?

Answer 25

Accumulated fragments of keratin layer

Question 26

What is a fissure?

Answer 26

Linear split in epidermis

Question 27

What is pitting?

Answer 27

Small depressions of the nail bed (common in psoriasis)

Question 28

What is hypopigmentation?

Answer 28

Lack of melanin

Question 29

What is the pattern of distribution of shingles along of nerve?

Answer 29

Dermatomal distribution

Question 30

What is crust?

Answer 30

Dried exudate e.g. serum or impetigo

Question 31

What is lichenified

Answer 31

Thickening with increased skin markings

Can be seen with eczema

Question 32

What is a scar?

Answer 32

Normal tissue replaced by fibrous tissue

Question 33

What does coalescing?

Answer 33

Clumping (specify with or without sparing)

Question 34

What does confluent mean in terms of rash?

Answer 34

No start or finish

Question 35

How to describe a lesion?

Answer 35

Colour?
Size?
Raised or flat?
Distribution?- widespread, local, symmetrical, typical sites e.g. fissure or extensor
Border features?- well defined or blurred?
Surface features?- scale or crust?

Question 36

What size of a lesion is worrying?

Answer 36

> 6mm