Skin, Hair, and Nails Vocab

Bulla

Vesicle greater than 1 cm in diameter, such as a blister

Clubbing

Present when the angle of the nail base exceeds 180 degrees, associated with COPD or heart disease

Confluent

Lesions, cells, or body parts that merge or flow together

Cyanosis

Grayish-blue in light skin and ashen-gray in dark skin seen in nail beds or mucous membranes (also earlobes, lips, soles of feet for light skin conjunctival of eye for dark skin), means patient has hypoxia

Ecchymosis

A bruise, a dark red, purple, yellow, or green color depending on age of bruise in light skin and a deeper bluish-black tone that can be harder to see in dark skin

Erythema

Associated with inflammation, reddish tone in light skins and deeper brown/purple in darker skins both with increased skin temperature

Jaundice

Resulting from liver disease, seen as a yellowish color of skin, sclera, fingernails, palms, and oral mucosa in light skin and yellowish-green color in sclera, palms, and soles in dark skin

Keloid

Irregular-shaped, elevated, progressively enlarging scar that grow beyond the boundaries of the wound

Leukonychia

White spots on the nail plate caused by minor trauma or manipulation of cuticle

Linear

Skin lesions, rashes, or anatomical features that arrange themselves in a straight line, band, or streak-like configuration

Macule

Flat, circumscribed area that changes the color of the skin, less than 1 cm

Nevi

Moles, expected in adults and mostly located in sun-exposed areas, less than 5mm in size, round or oval with a clearly defined border

Nodule

Elevated, firm, circumscribed lesion, 1-2 cm in diameter

Pallor

Appears as a pale skin color that may appear white in light skin and is simply a tone that is lighter than normal in darker skin (yellowish-brown, ashen, loss of red undertones)

Papule

Elevated, firm, circumscribed area less than 1 cm in diameter such as a wart or skin tag

Patch

A flat, no palpable, irregular-shaped macule more than 1 cm in diameter, area of darker skins pigmentation that is usually brown or tan and typically present at birth

Petechiae

Tiny, flat, reddish-purple, nonblanchable spots less than 0.5 cm in diameter, appear as small, reddish-purple pinpoints in light skin and is difficult to see in dark skin but may be evident in mouth or sclera

Plaque

Elevated, firm, and rough lesion with flat top surface greater than 1 cm in diameter

Pustule

Elevated, superficial lesion, similar to a vesicle but filled with purulent fluid such as acne

Rash

Can be visualized and felt with light palpation in light skin and is difficult to see in dark skin but may be felt with light palpation, typically an allergic reaction

Scar

Thin-to-thick fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin following injury or laceration to the dermis, appears as a narrow line in light skin and frequently shows up as a keloid in dark skin which results in it being thickened and raised

Striae

Silver or pink “stretch marks” secondary to weight gain or pregnancy

Turgor

Assessed by picking up and slightly pinching skin on forearm or under clavicle for an older adults, poor when tenting is present and can be due to dehydration or significant weight loss

Vesicle

Elevated, circumscribed, superficial, not into dermis, filled with serous fluid, less than 1 cm in diameter

Zosteriform

Skin rash or lesion distribution that appears band-like or striped-like restricted to a specific nerve territory, or dermatome