Plain English is better than using a specific term incorrectly.Īnother common pitfall is seeing only the lesion the patient has brought to your attention. A flesh coloured verrucous papule in the lateral nail fold is the same as a warty raised bump next to the nail. I would like to highlight two tips for those learning to diagnose and describe skin lesions.Īs you learn the more specific dermatologic terminology, do not be afraid to use regular English when uncertain. The specific size is helpful as well 1mm papules have a different differential diagnosis than 1cm papules. scale, ulceration), configuration, color, demarcation, and distribution will further assist in narrowing the diagnosis. Understanding the terminology is also important for communication in the medical record and for consultation.Īs highlighted in the introduction, further description of secondary lesions (e.g. Correctly utilizing these specific terms will allow one to quickly access electronic resources and get to relevant content. This post was copyedited and uploaded by Josiah Butt Referencesĭetermination of the primary morphology of a cutaneous lesion is critical in making a diagnosis. Other life threatening rashes such as Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TENS), and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) may have bullous lesions however can present with a variety of primary morphologies. If you see a diffuse pustular rash and the patient has recently started a medication, you may consider acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP). If you see a vesiculobullous rash that is very localized, you may be concerned about necrotizing fasciitis. In a sicker patient, you would worry about thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), meningococcemia, and other life threatening illnesses. If you see red macules or red/purple plaques that do not blanch, you start to think about petechia or purpura. There are also less common examples that you do not want to miss. Here are some common examples of dermatological findings and their associated primary morphology. However, by determining a rash’s primary characteristics, you can narrow your differential diagnoses. It is always important to examine the rash in the context of a detailed history and physical examination. A pustule is similar to a vesicle where it is usually less than 1 cm but instead of simple fluid, it is filled with pus. A vesicle is less than 1cm while a bulla is greater than 1cm. A fluid-filled lesion would be a vesicle, bulla, or pustule. It is often white at the core with an erythematous base. A wheal is essentially a papule or plaque that is characteristically evanescent. A nodule is a solid lesion with a deeper cutaneous involvement. A raised solid lesion is a papule when it is less than 1 cm and a plaque when it is a confluence of papules greater than 1 cm. Solid lesions can be described as either a papule, plaque, nodule, or wheal.
Small tiny pinpoint red dots on skin dont itch Patch#
A macule is a flat lesion smaller than 1 cm and a patch is a flat lesion larger than 1 cm.Įlevated lesions are either solid or fluid-filled. If the lesion is flat, then it will be either a macule or patch. Within primary morphology you can stratify a lesion based on whether it is flat or elevated. The focus or this article will be on primary morphology. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any website that you interact with before allowing the collection and use of your personal information.When describing a rash there are many characteristics to make note of, including its primary morphology, secondary morphology, demarcation, colour, configuration, and distribution. The personal data that you choose to provide or that is collected by these third parties is not covered by the Desert Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists Privacy Statement. We do not endorse or represent third-party sites. We do not control those third-party sites or their privacy practices, which may differ from ours. If you access those links, you will leave our site. Within our website, Desert Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists may provide links to third-party applications, products, services, or websites for your convenience and information. Your information is strictly used by Desert Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists and its staff to provide you the most complete customer service. We do not sell your information in any form to any other company. Desert Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists has strict privacy guidelines in place and will not use your personal information for any purposes other than your treatment.
0 kommentar(er)
