Hair, Skin, Nails Terms

Bulla

Vesicle greater than 1 cm in diameter.

Ex: Blisters, pemphigus vulgaris, lupus erythematosis, impetigo, drug reaction

Confluent

Blending together, merging, or blending into a single large mass

Eccymosis

Bruise

Keloid

Irregular-shaped, elevated, progressively enlarging scar; grows beyond the boundaries of the wound

Leukonychia

Appears as white spots on the nail plate, this is usually caused by minor trauma or manipulation of the cuticle

Macule

Flat, circumscribed area that is a change in the color of the skin; less than 1 cm in diameter

Ex: freckles, flat moles (nevi), petechiae, measles, scarlet fever

Nevi

moles

Nodule

Elevated irregular-shaped area of cutaneous edema; solid, transient; variable diameter

Ex: insect bites, urticaria, allergic reactions, and lupus eryhematosus

Pallor

Loss of the underlying healthy red tones of the skin

Light skin: pale skin color that may appear white

Dark skin: ashen, yellowish-brown skin

Papule

Elevated, firm, circumscribed area less than 1 cm in diameter

Ex: Warts (verruca), elevated moles, lichen planus, cherry angioma, neurofibroma, skin tag

Patch

an area of darker skin pigmentation that is usually brown or tan and is typically present at birth (birthmarks)

Ex: vitiligo, port wine stains, Mongolian spots, cafe-au-lait spots

Petechiae

Light skin: lesions appear as small, reddish-purple pinpoints

Dark skin: difficult to see, may be evident in the buccal mucosa of the mouth or sclera of the eye

Plaque

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

Ex: psoriasis, seborrheic and actinic keratoses, and eczema

Pustule

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

Ex: impetigo, acne, folliculitis, herpes simplex

Scar

Light skin: narrow scar line

Dark skin: frequent keloid development, resulting in a thickened, raised scar

Striae

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

Vesicle

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

Ex: varicella (chicken pox), herpes zoster (shingles), impetigo, acute eczema

Zosteriform

A skin rash or lesion pattern that forms a linear, band-like shape along a single nerve pathway (a dermatome) on one side of the body