Skin Health

Lesions on Skin

The skin is subject to many disorders. They occur through the direct action of external agents or as symptoms of disease in other parts of the body. Susceptibility to skin disorders is modified and sometimes determined by genetic factors.

The appearance of abnormal changes, or lesions, in the skin is an important element in diagnosis and treatment. Various lesions can occur, not all of them disease related. A flat lesion of a color differing from surrounding skin is called a freckle. A papule is a solid, elevated but superficial mass, such as a rise mole or a wart. A wheal is a transitory lesion resulting from an allergic response, such as to an insect bite. A nodule is a solid mass that extent deeper, such as in certain tumors and cysts. A vesicle is a tiny blister filled with clear fluid, such as in early chicken pox. A bulla is a large blister, most often seen as the result of a burn. A pustule is an elevated skin area containing pus, as in the later chicken pox lesion. Purpura is a skin discoloration caused by deposits of blood or blood pigments within the skin.

The appearance of such lesions may be modified by secondary changes. These include scales or flakes of dead skin, as seen in psoriasis and dandruff; crusts, typically dried masses of material that have oozed out, as in impetigo, fissures, or sharp breaks, as seen in athlete's foot, ulcers, or destruction of one or more skin layers, exposing underlying tissue; scars, resulting from newly formed connective tissue replacing lost tissue; and lichinification, a thickened scaly area in which normal skin creases and lines are exaggerated. Lesions may be seen in several different diseases, any one of which may have several different lesions.

posted by Margi @ 6:29 AM