Term | Definition |
Vernix caseosa | protective covering on newborns |
Lanugo | downy hair covering the body on newborns |
Acrocyanosis | blue/purple discoloration of extremities in newborns |
Cutis marmorata | transient discoloration due to decreased temperatures in newborns |
Erythema toxicum | benign, yellow/white erythema, normally 1-2 mm, in newborns |
Mongolian spots | blue/mulberry spots in sacral area in newborns, more prevalent in darker skin tones |
Salmon patches | flat, deep pink localized areas, usually found midforhead, eyelids, upper lips and back of neck, found in newborns |
Milia | small white papules found in newborns |
Striae Gravidarum | stretch marks on pregnant women |
Linea Nigra | a dark line or discoloration the runs from the umbilicus to the pubes in pregnant women |
Chloasma | excessive facial skin pigmentation often found in pregnant women |
Atopic dermatitis | skin lesions consists of reddened, cracked, thickened skin that can become exudative & crusty from scratching |
Psoriasis | chronic skin disorder where red papules & scaly silver plaques with sharply defined borders appear on the body surface |
Macule | flat, circumscribed area that is a change in the color of the skin, <1cm
ex. freckles, nevi, measles |
Papule | elevated, firm circumscribed area, <1cm
ex. warts, elevated moles, lichen planus |
Patch | flat, nonpalpatable, irregular shaped macule, >1cm
ex vitiligo, port wine stains, mongolian spots |
Plaque | elevated, firm, rough lesion w/ flat top surface that is >1cm
ex. psoriasis, seborrheic and actinic keratoses |
Wheal | Elevated, irregular shaped areas of cutaneous edema; solid, transient, variable diameters
ex. insect bites, urticaria, allergic reactions |
Nodule | elevated, firm, circumscribed lesion, deeper in the dermis than papule, 1-2cm in diameter
ex. erythema nodosum, lipoma |
Tumor | elevated, solid lesion; may be clearly demarcated, deeper in dermis
ex. neoplasms, lipoma |
Vesicle | elevated, circumscribed, superficial, not into dermis; filled with serous fluid
ex. chickenpox, herpes zoster |
Bulla | vesicle greater than 1cm in diamter
ex. blister, pemphigus, vulgaris |
Pustule | elevated, superficial, encapsulated lesion; in dermis or subcutaneous layer, filled with liquid or semisolid material
ex. sebaceous cyst, cystic acne |
Telangiectasia | fine, irregular, red lines produced by capillary dilation |
Scale | heaped up skin, keratinized cells
ex flaking skin w/ seborrheic dermatitis, flaking after drug rxn |
Lichenification | rough, thickened skin secondary from rubbing, scratching, chronic irritation
ex. chronic dermatitis |
Keloid | irregular, elevated progressively enlarging scar; heaped up mass of tissue |
Excoriation | loss of epidermis, linear hollowed out area; crusted area
ex. scratch, scabies, abrasion |
Fissure | linear crack or break from the epidermis to the dermis
ex. athletes foot cracks |
Erosion | loss of part of epidermis; depressed moist glistening & follows rupture of vesicle or bulla
ex. varicella after rupture |
Ulcer | loss of epidermis & dermis, concave
ex. pressure or stasis ulcer |
Crust | ex. scab |
Atrophy | thinning of skin surface
ex. aged skin |
Spider angioma | red, central body with radiating spider-like legs that blanch with pressure to the central body
causes: liver disease, vitamin B deficiency, idiopathic |
Venous star | bluish spider, linear or irregularly shaped; does not blanch w/ pressure
causes: increased pressure in superficial veins |
Vitilgo | absence of melanin |
Alopecia | absence or loss of hair |
Hirsutism | male-like hair distribution on a female; associated with endocrine problems |