Week 1 Flashcards
How to Recognise and Investigate Skin Disease
What are the functions of the Epidermis?
- Immune surveillance (via langerhans cells)
- Barrier function (trans-epidermal water loss/UV Protection)
- Thermo-regulation
How do you know if pathology is in the epidermis and not the dermis?
- Demarcated margins
- Scaly and hyperkeratotic
- Exudates or erosions on the surface
- Colour changes (e.g. hyperpigmentation)
Name the 5 layers of the epidermis
Where do keratinocytes (epidermal cells) originate?
Stratum Basale
How often do keratinocytes renew?
Every 30 days
They have a monthly cycle.
What two types of skin cancer come from keratinocytes?
BCC and SCC
What immune cells concentrate in the skin?
Langerhan cells.
What is the name of the protein that sticks epidermal cells together?
(And is target by autoantibodies in pemphigus)
Desmogleins
How do you know if the pathology is in the dermis?
- The skin will be elevated or depressed.
- No surface changes
- Definition
- Well circumscribed - higher dermis - papillary dermis
- Poorly circumscribed - deeper dermis - reticular dermis
What disease affects the subcutis?
Erythema Nodosum
(alsa cutaneous lupus)
What is inflammation of the subcutis called?
Panniculitis
How do you know if the pathology is in the subcutis?
There will bedeep colour chages but no elevation of the lesion.
What are the 9 essential points in taking a dermatological history?
- Duration
- Physical agents - detergents, sun exposure.
- Itching
- Pain and tenderness
- Past history
- Family history
- Social history
- Current Drug history
- Previous treatment - did it work?
- Psychological effect of the disease
What is the approach to examination that is taken in dermatology?
- Look
- Site involved
- Single or multiple lesions
- Distribution
- Arrangement
- Feel - epidermal or dermal
- Describe
- Type of lesion
- Surface texture
- Colour
- Border
- Size and shape of the individual lesion
When we look at a lesion we should…
- Describe
