Skin Lesions And Description Flashcards
What is a macule?
Circumscribed, flat discoloration <0.5 cm in diameter, can be blue, red, brown, or hypopigmented
Examples include freckles, petechiae, measles, flat moles (nevi), café-au-lait spots, and vitiligo.
What is the difference between a macule and a patch?
A macule is <0.5 cm; a patch is >0.5 cm in diameter.
What is a papule?
Elevated, solid lesion <0.5 cm in diameter with varying colors
Examples include warts (verrucae), elevated moles, lipomas, and basal cell cancer.
What is a plaque?
Circumscribed, elevated, superficial, solid lesion >0.5 cm in diameter
Examples include psoriasis and seborrheic and actinic keratoses.
What is atrophy in the context of skin lesions?
Depression in skin resulting from thinning of the epidermis or dermis
Examples include aged skin and striae.
What does excoriation refer to?
Area in which epidermis is missing, exposing the dermis
Examples include abrasions and scratches.
What is a fissure?
Linear crack or break from the epidermis to the dermis, can be dry or moist
Examples include athlete’s foot, chapping, and eczema.
What characterizes a pustule?
Elevated, superficial lesion filled with purulent fluid
Examples include acne and impetigo.
What is a vesicle?
Circumscribed, superficial collection of serous fluid <0.5 cm in diameter
If >0.5 cm, it is called a bulla. Examples include varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles).
What defines a wheal?
Firm, edematous, irregularly shaped area that may last only a few hours
Examples include insect bites, urticaria, and angioedema.
What is a scar?
Abnormal formation of connective tissue that replaces normal skin
Examples include surgical incisions and healed wounds.
What is an ulcer?
Loss of the epidermis and dermis, crater-like and irregular shape, heals with scarring
Examples include pressure injuries and chancres.
Scale
excess, dead epidermal cells made by abnormal keratinization and shedding.
