Skin diseases

shingles

Painful skin lesions; caused by the chickenpox virus after childhood infection; can recur when the dormant virus is activated by trauma, stress, or another illness.

alopecia areata

Often called spot baldness, involves varying degrees of hair loss and can affect all areas of the body.

rubeola

Skin lesions; caused by a virus contracted through the respiratory tract; may develop into pneumonia or infect the brain, causing damage.

ringworm

Fungal infection that produces patchy scaling and inflammatory response in the skin.

Propionibacterium acnes

________ (P. acnes), are found in sebum- rich areas of the skin, such as the forehead, side of the nose, and back.

eczema and dermatitis

Inflammatory conditions of the skin caused by allergy, infection, poor circulation, or exposure to chemical or environmental factors.

Squamous cell carcinoma

________ affects cells in the stratum spinosum and can appear as a wartlike growth; a persistent, scaly red patch; an open sore; or an elevated growth with a central depression.

Rubella

Skin lesions; usually mild viral disease contracted through the respiratory tract; may be dangerous if contracted during pregnancy because the virus can cross the placenta and damage the fetus.

melanoma

Because they arise from melanocytes, most melanomas are black or brown, but occasionally a melanoma stops producing melanin and appears skin colored, pink, red, or purple

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)

are found in sebum; rich areas of the skin, such as the forehead, side of the nose, and back

frostbite

destruction of tissue by freezing and characterized by tingling, blistering and possibly gangrene

psoriasis

Chronic skin disease characterized by thicker-than-normal epidermal layer (stratum corneum) that sloughs to produce large, silvery scales; bleeding may occur if the scales are scraped away

vitiligo

Development of patches of white skin where melanocytes are destroyed, apparently by an autoimmune response

skin cancer

most common type of cancer. Most skin cancers result from damage caused by the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight.

impetigo

Small blisters containing pus; easily rupture to form a thick, yellowish crust; usually aects children

erysipelas

Swollen patches in the skin caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes

Decubitus ulcers

(bedsores, pressure sores) Develop in people who are bedridden or confined to a wheelchair; compression of tissue and reduced circulation result in destruction of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which later become infected by bacteria, forming ulcers

acne

an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin; characterized by papules or pustules or comedones

chickenpox

Skin lesions; usually mild viral disease contracted through the respiratory tract

cold sores

(fever blisters) Skin lesions; caused by herpes simplex I virus; transmitted by oral or respiratory routes; lesions recur

genital herpes

Genital lesions; caused by herpes simplex II virus; transmitted by sexual contact

birthmarks

Congenital (present at birth) disorders of the dermal capillaries

basal cell carcinoma

the most common type, affects cells in the stratum basale. Basal cell carcinomas have a varied appearance. Some are open sores that bleed, ooze, or crust for several weeks.