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Click a letter to see a list of conditions beginning with that letter.
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Describing a Skin Condition
How to describe a skin condition
A healthcare provider may ask you to describe your skin condition and its location. Here are some of the more common terms that may help you give a more accurate description:
|
Condition
|
What it looks like
|
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Abscess
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A closed, painful pocket containing pus
|
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Atrophic
|
Thin, dry, wrinkled skin
|
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Blister or vesicle
|
Fluid-filled bump under or in the epidermis (the surface of the skin) that is less than 1 cm in size
|
|
Crust or scab
|
Formation of dried blood, plasma, or pus over a break in the skin
|
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Cyst
|
Enclosed sac in skin containing fluid or solid material
|
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Excoriation
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An erosion with loss of the epidermis, caused by scratching
|
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Hives or wheals
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Pink or white localized swelling of the skin that is often itchy
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Lichenification
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Skin that has become thickened, hardened, or leathery with skin markings from chronic scratching
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Macule
|
Small, flat, discolored spot, less than 1 cm
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Nodule or papule
|
Solid, raised bumps. A nodule is greater than 1 cm, and a papule is less than or equal to 1 cm.
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Patch
|
Flat, large (greater than 1 cm) discolored area
|
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Plaque
|
A raised or depressed area of skin that is greater than 1 cm in diameter
|
|
Pustule (pimple)
|
Inflamed, raised lesions that contain pus
|
|
Scales
|
A buildup of dead skin cells that form flakes
|
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Scar
|
Fibrous tissue that forms after a skin injury
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Online Medical Reviewer:
Michael Lehrer MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Tennille Dozier RN BSN RDMS
Date Last Reviewed:
4/1/2023
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