Dermatology > Introduction > Flashcards

Introduction Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a macule?

A

A flat, circumscribed area of colour change <1 cm in diameter (e.g. freckle, flat mole).

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2
Q

What is a patch?

A

A flat, non-palpable area of colour change ≥1 cm (e.g. vitiligo, café-au-lait spot).

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3
Q

What is a papule?

A

A small, raised, solid lesion <1 cm (e.g. wart, lichen planus).

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4
Q

What is a nodule?

A

A solid, raised lesion >1 cm that extends into the dermis or subcutis (e.g. lipoma, dermatofibroma)

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5
Q

What is a plaque?

A

A raised, flat-topped lesion >1 cm (e.g. psoriasis).

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6
Q

What is a vesicle?

A

A small, fluid-filled blister <1 cm (e.g. chickenpox, herpes simplex).

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7
Q

What is a bulla?

A

A large, fluid-filled blister ≥1 cm (e.g. bullous pemphigoid, burns).

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8
Q

What is a pustule?

A

A pus-filled vesicle (e.g. acne, impetigo).

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9
Q

What is a wheal?

A

A transient, raised, edematous area with central pallor and erythematous border (e.g. urticaria, insect bite).

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10
Q

What is a cyst?

A

A sac-like lesion containing fluid or semi-solid material (e.g. epidermoid cyst).

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11
Q

What is a scale?

A

Flakes of compacted, dead keratinized cells (e.g. psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis).

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12
Q

What is a crust (scab)?

A

Dried serum, blood, or pus on the surface (e.g. impetigo).

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13
Q

What is an erosion?

A

A superficial loss of epidermis; heals without scarring (e.g. ruptured vesicle).

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14
Q

What is an ulcer?

A

A deeper loss of epidermis and dermis; heals with scarring (e.g. venous ulcer).

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15
Q

What is an excoriation?

A

Linear erosion caused by scratching (e.g. in atopic dermatitis).

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16
Q

What is a fissure?

A

A linear crack in the skin extending into dermis (e.g. athlete’s foot, cheilitis).

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17
Q

What is a lichenification?

A

Thickened, rough skin with accentuated markings due to chronic scratching (e.g. chronic eczema).

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18
Q

What is an atrophy?

A

Thinning of skin layers leading to shiny, wrinkled appearance (e.g. chronic steroid use).

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19
Q

What is a scar?

A

Fibrous tissue replacing normal skin after injury (e.g. keloid, hypertrophic scar).

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20
Q

What is a comedone?

A

A plug of keratin and sebum in a hair follicle; open = blackhead, closed = whitehead (e.g. acne vulgaris).

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21
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A
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22
Q

What is a blister?

A

A general term for a fluid-filled lesion; includes both vesicles (<1 cm) and bullae (≥1 cm).

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23
Q
A
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24
Q

What is peeling (desquamation)?

A

Shedding or sloughing off of the outer skin layer following inflammation or injury (e.g. after sunburn, scarlet fever)

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25
What are secondary skin lesions?
Lesions that evolve from primary lesions or result from external factors (e.g. scratching, infection, healing).
26
What is ulceration with eschar?
Necrotic black crust over an ulcer (e.g. anthrax, ecthyma gangrenosum).
27
What does annular mean?
Ring-shaped lesion with central clearing (e.g. tinea corporis).
28
What does targetoid (iris) mean?
Lesion with concentric rings (e.g. erythema multiforme).
29
What does linear mean?
Lesions arranged in a straight line (e.g. contact dermatitis from a plant, lichen striatus).
30
What does grouped (clustered) mean?
Lesions in close clusters (e.g. herpes simplex, insect bites).
31
What does discrete (scattered) mean?
Individual lesions separated by normal skin (e.g. pityriasis rosea).
32
What does confluent (coalescing) mean?
Lesions that merge together (e.g. measles rash).
33
What does reticular (net-like) mean?
Lesions arranged in a lacy or mesh-like pattern (e.g. livedo reticularis).
34
What does dermatomal (zosteriform) mean?
Lesions following a dermatome (e.g. herpes zoster).
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What does photodistributed mean?
Lesions limited to sun-exposed areas (e.g. lupus erythematosus).
37
What does flexural (intertriginous) mean?
Lesions in skin folds (e.g. candidiasis, inverse psoriasis).
38
What does extensor distribution mean?
Lesions on extensor surfaces (e.g. psoriasis
39
What does generalized mean?
Lesions widespread across most of the body (e.g. drug eruption).
40
What does localized mean?
Lesions limited to a specific area (e.g. herpes simplex on lip).
41
What does follicular mean?
Lesions centered around hair follicles (e.g. folliculitis)
42
What does erythematous mean?
Red colour due to increased blood flow or inflammation (e.g. eczema, cellulitis).
43
What does violaceous mean?
Purple colour, usually from vascular congestion or dermal inflammation (e.g. lichen planus).
44
What does hyperpigmented mean?
Darker than surrounding skin due to excess melanin (e.g. post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma).
45
What does hypopigmented mean?
Lighter than surrounding skin due to decreased melanin (e.g. pityriasis alba, post-inflammatory hypopigmentation).
46
What does depigmented mean?
Complete loss of pigment (e.g. vitiligo)
47
What does hypochromic mean?
Decreased intensity of colour, often used interchangeably with hypopigmented (e.g. pityriasis versicolor).
48
What does hyperchromic mean?
Increased colour intensity, often due to excess melanin or hemosiderin (e.g. venous stasis dermatitis).
49
What does dusky mean?
Dark bluish-red colour indicating tissue ischemia or necrosis (e.g. Stevens–Johnson syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis).
50
What does cyanotic mean?
Bluish colour from reduced oxygen saturation (e.g. peripheral cyanosis).
51
What does purpuric mean?
Purple or red discoloration from extravasated blood that does not blanch (e.g. vasculitis, thrombocytopenia)
52
What does petechial mean?
Small (1–2 mm), pinpoint purpuric spots (e.g. meningococcal sepsis).
53
What does ecchymotic mean?
Larger (>1 cm) areas of purpura (e.g. bruises, trauma)
54
What does blanching mean?
Temporary whitening with pressure, indicating vascular dilation (not hemorrhage).
55
What does non-blanching mean?
No colour change with pressure, indicating extravasated blood (e.g. purpura).
56
What does salmon-coloured mean
Pink–orange hue, often in psoriasis or pityriasis rosea.
57
What does yellowish (xanthomatous) mean?
Yellow hue due to lipid deposition (e.g. xanthomas, sebaceous hyperplasia).
58
What does brown mean?
Due to melanin, hemosiderin, or exogenous pigments (e.g. melasma, post-inflammatory pigmentation).
59
What does black mean?
May indicate necrosis, melanin, or foreign pigment (e.g. melanoma, gangrene).
60
What does white mean?
Loss of melanin, scaling, or fibrosis (e.g. vitiligo, pityriasis alba, morphea).
61
What does pearly or translucent mean?
Shiny, light-reflecting surface typical of basal cell carcinoma.
62
What causes red or pink colour in skin lesions?
Increased blood flow (vasodilation) or inflammation in superficial dermal vessels.
63
What are examples of red/pink skin lesions?
Erythema in eczema, cellulitis, urticaria, or drug reactions.
64
Why does red skin blanch with pressure?
Because blood is still inside dilated vessels and can be displaced with pressure.
65
What causes purple (violaceous) skin colour?
Blood has leaked into the dermis or subcutis and become deoxygenated (reduced hemoglobin).
66
What are examples of purple lesions?
Purpura, petechiae, ecchymoses, vasculitis, lichen planus
67
Why do purple lesions not blanch with pressure?
Because the blood is extravascular — it has leaked out of vessels and cannot be displaced.
68
What causes brown skin colour?
Increased melanin (melanocyte hyperactivity or number) or hemosiderin deposition (from old blood).
69
What causes black lesions?
Very high melanin concentration (melanoma), necrosis (gangrene), or exogenous pigments (tattoos, dirt).
70
What are examples of brown/black lesions?
Melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, nevi, malignant melanoma, gangrene.
71
What causes white (hypopigmented or depigmented) skin?
Loss or reduction of melanin production or melanocytes.
72
What are examples of white skin lesions?
• Vitiligo: complete melanocyte loss → depigmentation. • Pityriasis alba: mild ↓ melanin → hypopigmentation. • Scarring / morphea: fibrosis reduces vascularity → pallor.
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74
Why does white skin sometimes appear shiny or atrophic?
Thinning of the epidermis and dermis reflects more light (atrophy).
75
What causes yellow skin discolouration?
Lipid or bilirubin accumulation, or pus beneath the skin.
76
What are examples of yellow skin lesions?
• Jaundice: bilirubin deposition. • Xanthomas: lipid-laden macrophages. • Pustules: yellow due to pus (neutrophils).
77
How do you differentiate jaundice from carotenemia?
In carotenemia, sclera remain white; in jaundice, sclera are yellow.
78
What causes green discolouration in skin or wounds?
Infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which produces blue-green pigments (pyocyanin and pyoverdin)
79
What are examples of green lesions or findings?
• Pseudomonas wound infections (green pus). • Green nail syndrome. • Chronic otorrhea from Pseudomonas otitis externa.
80
Why can bruises appear green during healing?
Hemoglobin is broken down to biliverdin (green pigment) before turning yellow (bilirubin).
81
Give a list on annular (ring shaped) conditions
Tinea corporis (ringworm) Pityriasis rises (herald patch) Syphilis Urticaria Granuloma annulare Lichen planus Psoarisis Seborrhoeic eczema
82
What causes the ring shape in annular lesions?
The lesion expands outward while the central area heals, creating a circular appearance.
83
How do you differentiate annular tinea from annular psoriasis?
• Tinea: raised, scaly, active edge; central clearing; often itchy. • Psoriasis: uniformly thick scales; no true central clearing.
84
What does polycyclic mean?
Interlocking or coalescing rings formed by multiple annular lesions (e.g. erythema marginatum).
85
86
Give examples of grouped (clustered)
Herpes simplex Varicella zoster (multiple groups along a nerve root distribution) Insect bites Warts Molluscum contagiosum
87
What is the mechanism behind grouped lesions?
Local spread of infection or inflammation along adjacent skin areas.
88
What does herpetiform grouping mean?
Clustered vesicles resembling herpes infection (e.g. dermatitis herpetiformis).
89
What does discrete vs confluent mean?
• Discrete: lesions separated by normal skin (e.g. pityriasis rosea). • Confluent: lesions merge together (e.g. measles).
90
What does linear mean in dermatology?
Lesions arranged in a straight or curving line on the skin.
91
What is the mechanism of linear lesion formation?
• Lesions follow a line of trauma, contact, or skin embryologic development (Blaschko’s lines). • Can also occur from scratching or external exposure.
92
What are common causes of linear lesions?
• Koebner phenomenon (psoriasis, lichen planus, warts) • Contact dermatitis (e.g. from plants or irritants) • Scabies burrows • Lichen striatus • Linear epidermal nevus - scratch marks - scar, keloid - insect bites - varicella zoster (nerve root distribution) - spread (lymphatics, vessels)
93
What is the Koebner phenomenon?
Development of new lesions along lines of trauma in certain skin diseases (e.g. psoriasis, lichen planus, vitiligo).
94
What are Blaschko’s lines?
Invisible developmental lines of skin cell migration; some genetic or mosaic skin conditions follow these lines (e.g. lichen striatus, linear epidermal nevus).
95
What is a serpiginous pattern?
Wavy or snake-like linear configuration (e.g. cutaneous larva migrans).
96
What is a streaky linear rash caused by plants called?
Allergic phytodermatitis — commonly from poison ivy or similar irritants.
97
What infectious cause can produce a linear burrow under the skin?
Sarcoptes scabiei (scabies mite), typically between fingers or on wrists.
98
How can you differentiate a linear excoriation from a linear rash?
• Excoriation: scratch mark; often superficial and parallel. • Rash: actual inflammatory or vesicular lesions arranged linearly.
99
What does tram-track or railroad track arrangement refer to?
Parallel linear lesions, often due to scratching, trauma, or vasculitic purpura.
100
What does reticular mean in dermatology?
A net-like or lace-like pattern of skin discoloration
101
What causes a reticular pattern in the skin?
Altered blood flow or pigmentation along the superficial vascular network of the skin.
102
What colour are reticular lesions usually?
Purplish or reddish-blue, sometimes brownish when chronic.
103
What is the most common physiological cause of a reticular pattern?
Cutis marmorata — transient, mottled, net-like pattern from cold-induced vasoconstriction in infants or adults.
104
What is livedo reticularis?
A persistent, mottled, net-like purplish discoloration caused by sluggish blood flow or vascular obstruction.
105
What are causes of livedo reticularis?
• Vasculitis (e.g. polyarteritis nodosa) • Vasculopathy (e.g. antiphospholipid syndrome) • Cold exposure • Drug-induced or idiopathic forms
106
How does livedo racemosa differ from livedo reticularis
Livedo racemosa is more irregular, broken, and persistent — usually due to serious underlying vascular disease.
107
What is cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita?
A congenital vascular anomaly causing fixed, net-like marbling of the skin in newborns.
108
What pigment changes can also produce a reticular pattern?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or reticulate melanosis — pigmentation follows a network-like pattern.
109
What
110
What does reticular mean in dermatology?
A net-like or lace-like pattern of skin discoloration
111
What causes a reticular pattern in the skin?
Altered blood flow or pigmentation along the superficial vascular network of the skin.
112
What colour are reticular lesions usually?
Purplish or reddish-blue, sometimes brownish when chronic.
113
What is the most common physiological cause of a reticular pattern?
Cutis marmorata — transient, mottled, net-like pattern from cold-induced vasoconstriction in infants or adults
114
What is livedo reticularis?
A persistent, mottled, net-like purplish discoloration caused by sluggish blood flow or vascular obstruction
115
What are causes of livedo reticularis
• Vasculitis (e.g. polyarteritis nodosa) • Vasculopathy (e.g. antiphospholipid syndrome) • Cold exposure • Drug-induced or idiopathic forms
116
How does livedo racemosa differ from livedo reticularis?
Livedo racemosa is more irregular, broken, and persistent — usually due to serious underlying vascular disease.
117
What is cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita?
A congenital vascular anomaly causing fixed, net-like marbling of the skin in newborns.
118
What pigment changes can also produce a reticular pattern?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or reticulate melanosis — pigmentation follows a network-like pattern.
119
What are key differentials for a reticular or mottled appearance?
• Physiologic cutis marmorata • Livedo reticularis / racemosa • Vasculitis • Cholesterol emboli • Reticulate pigmentation disorders - Lichen planus (wickham striae)
Dermatology
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