Power point presentation: Describing skin lesions

Slide 1 - Purpose
It is important to understand and be able to systematically describe
the different features and observable patterns of skin lesions. This
aids in the communication of observable features between health
professionals (for example when making a referral), documentation
and record keeping purposes, and is the first step in making a full
assessment, differential diagnosis, and identification of a presenting
cutaneous condition.
Slide 2 : What is skin?
Normal skin
- Form
- Function
What is a lesion?
A lesion is any single area of altered skin. It may be solitary or
multiple.
Slide 3: Describing a typical lesion
How to describe a lesion Following the clinical examination, a typical lesion can be described
in terms of its:
- Location
- Type
- Surface features
- Colour (including erythematous or non-erythematous)
- Border (well/poorly defined, or accentuated)
- Size, shape, and symmetry (includes round, irregular,
serpiginous)
Slide 4: Types of skin lesions
Skin lesions can be subdivided into primary lesions and secondary
lesions.
Primary lesions
- Primary lesions are directly caused by the disease process
Types of primary lesions
- Macule
o
o Freckles, moles, rubella, measles
- Papule
o Naevi, warts, lichen planus, some forms of acne
- Nodules
o Cysts, lipomas, and fibromas

Plaque
o Pso
Vesicles
Bullae
Pustule
Urticaria (wheals)
Abscess
Cyst
Atrophy
Ulcer

Secondary lesions
- Secondary lesions are a result of the disease process
Types of secondary lesions
- Scar
- Crusts
- Lichenification

Use the descriptors from the following website

http://www2.kumc.edu/internalmedicine/students/ambulatory/dermk
estenhandout61003.pdf
Examples of the above are from
http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/dermatologicdisorders/approach-to-the-dermatologic-patient/description-of-skinlesions
Slide 5: Surface features of lesions
- Normal/smooth (i.e. same as the surrounding skin)
- Scaly
o Excess dead epidermal scales produced by shedding
from stratum corneum or abnormal keratinisation
- Hyperkeratotic
o Increased keratinisation (cornifica
- Warty
- Crust
- Exudate
- Excoriated
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=zpsb9e63AcC&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=description+of+surface+fe
atures+of+skin+lesions&source=bl&ots=Ddmx_zW2uI&sig=6uJq7Q
X5wV9nKntAuU6UFpNTigc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBWoVCh

MI0J3wi4XHyAIVRd-mCh2LBgta#v=onepage&q=description%20of
%20surface%20features%20of%20skin%20lesions&f=true
Use page 33
Slide 6: Colour of the lesion
The colour of the lesion may also help to diagnose.
Colour changes reflect the presence of factors such as the local
microcirculation and inflammatory changes to the existence or
absence of certain pigments (such as melanin in vitiligo and
hemosiderin
To determine abnormal variatios in coour change, it is often useful to
examine the extremities such as the nails, lips, and ear lobes, which
can provide accessible indications.
Some colours that may be observed include:
- Red - erythema
- Orange - hypercaratenaemia
- Yellow
o Typical of jaundice
- Violet
o Haemangiomas
- Shades of blue, silver, and gray
- Black
- http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/dermatologicdisorders/approach-to-the-dermatologic-patient/description-ofskin-lesions
Slide 7: Borders
- Well/poorly defined
Slide 8: Size and shape of individual lesion (Lesion
configuration)
- Linear lesions
- Annular lesions
- Nummular lesions
- Target (bulls eye or iris) lesions
- Serpiginous lesions
- Reticulated lesions
- Herpetiform
- Zosteriform

http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/dermatologicdisorders/approach-to-the-dermatologic-patient/description-of-skinlesions
Conclusion
A lesion which hasnt changed size, is basically symmetric with
distinct borders, and of uniform colour, and is similar to other moles
on the patient is likely to benign.