Skin, Hair, Nails Vocab

Bulla

fluid filled sac or lesion, appears when fluid is trapped under thin layer of skin

Clubbing

Angle of nail exceeds 180. results in thickening and widening of nail extremities of digits, abnormally curved and shiny

Confluent

skin legions that become merged forming a patch, characterized by lesions that aren’t discrete, or distinct

Cyanosis

Light skin-blue, dark skin-grey

Ecchymosis

extravasation of blood within the tissues and results in discoloration of skin

Erythema

skin irritation, inflammation, or injury caused by of blood vessels in skin—reddens

Jaundice

yellow color of the skin due to liver

Keloid

excess growth of scar tissue after it’s healed

Leukonychia

white spots on nail

Linear

abnormal lesions that form straight line

Macule

small flat non palpable skin color change less than 1 cm circumscribed border

Nevi

congenital raised pigmented moles

Nodule

primary skin lesion that is elevated firm and circumscribed, deeper in dermis than papule, 1-2 cm of diameter

Pallor

Loss of pink tones/whitened face

Papule

primary skin legion that is elevated, firm, circumscribed less than 1 cm

patch

flat nonpalpable, irregular shape of macule more than 1 cm may have irregular border

Petechiae

tiny purple spots on skin

Plaque

A raised thickened and elevated flat top area of skin larger than 1 cm

Pustule

elevated legion filled with fluid (acne)

Rash

area of irritated or swollen skin, often itchy, red, painful

Scar

area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after injury

Striae

Silver or pink stretch marks for weight gain or pregnancy

Turgor

skin’s elasticity

Vesicle

superficial bump filled with serous fluid less than 1 cm

Zosteriform

A rash or legions that are grouped and distributed unilaterally along a single dermatome