Dermatology Terminology is an attempt to describe and catalog dermatologic diseases with the verbiage dermatologists actually use while speaking to each other. With many disorders, the description can be reduced to a word, a phrase, or an acronym.
Colors deserve a special place in dermatologic description. Doctors and patients alike can observe the change in the shade of red when a rash goes from its acute presentation to its resolution phase. In other words, the color goes from bright to dull red as the rash resolves. Blue, as a color, has already been mentioned; red is another useful color in dermatologic descriptions, with “red leg, coral red, strawberry tongue, red man, cayenne pepper, and cherry red” all having representative diseases. Black is so important (because it is the color of most melanomas) that it deserves a keyword; however, many different benign tumors are black, so its mention is not specific to melanoma. Melanoma itself is nonetheless so important to dermatology that with some stretching.
The different sections of this book include papulosquamous, vesiculobullous (including dermatitis and eczema), infectious, hypersensitivity, and genetic disorders, dermatology in systemic disease, tumors, and miscellaneous disorders. One might predict that it would be easy to classify all the dermatologic disorders and their keywords in these sections, but there is considerable overlap.
Diseases that come to mind for the papulosquamous section that are not ordinarily considered with that group include eczema, which often presents with scaling plaques (the very definition of papulosquamous); subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which frequently presents with psoriasis-like plaques; discoid lupus erythematosus, superficial basal cell carcinoma, seborrheic dermatitis, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, erythrokeratoderma variabilis, and Netherton syndrome. Other sections have similar challenges.
What follows is a compilation of “keywords”; if they do not evoke an image in the mind of the reader or listener, then they are incomplete, obsolete, or not so key. The keyword, together with a photo of the disease it represents, is coupled with a short description and a literature reference for that disease. The photos are from my own collection or the collection at Drexel Dermatology.
Colors deserve a special place in dermatologic description. Doctors and patients alike can observe the change in the shade of red when a rash goes from its acute presentation to its resolution phase. In other words, the color goes from bright to dull red as the rash resolves. Blue, as a color, has already been mentioned; red is another useful color in dermatologic descriptions, with “red leg, coral red, strawberry tongue, red man, cayenne pepper, and cherry red” all having representative diseases. Black is so important (because it is the color of most melanomas) that it deserves a keyword; however, many different benign tumors are black, so its mention is not specific to melanoma. Melanoma itself is nonetheless so important to dermatology that with some stretching.
The different sections of this book include papulosquamous, vesiculobullous (including dermatitis and eczema), infectious, hypersensitivity, and genetic disorders, dermatology in systemic disease, tumors, and miscellaneous disorders. One might predict that it would be easy to classify all the dermatologic disorders and their keywords in these sections, but there is considerable overlap.
Diseases that come to mind for the papulosquamous section that are not ordinarily considered with that group include eczema, which often presents with scaling plaques (the very definition of papulosquamous); subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which frequently presents with psoriasis-like plaques; discoid lupus erythematosus, superficial basal cell carcinoma, seborrheic dermatitis, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, erythrokeratoderma variabilis, and Netherton syndrome. Other sections have similar challenges.
What follows is a compilation of “keywords”; if they do not evoke an image in the mind of the reader or listener, then they are incomplete, obsolete, or not so key. The keyword, together with a photo of the disease it represents, is coupled with a short description and a literature reference for that disease. The photos are from my own collection or the collection at Drexel Dermatology.
1 Papulosquamous Diseases
- 1.1 Psoriasis (silvery scale, oil spots)
- 1.2 Pityriasis Rosea (herald patch, Christmas tree)
- 1.3 Syphilis, Secondary (split papule, nickel and dime)
- 1.4 Lichen Planus (purple, Wickham striae)
- 1.5 Darier Disease (greasy papules)
- 1.6 Parapsoriasis (fawn colored, digitate)
- 1.7 Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris (islands of sparing, nutmeg grater)
- 2.1 Rhus Dermatitis (linear vesicles)
- 2.2 Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease (linear vesicle)
- 2.3 Herpes Zoster (dermatomal vesicles)
- 2.4 Pemphigus Vulgaris (flaccid bullae)
- 2.5 Bullous Pemphigoid (tense bullae)
- 2.6 Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis (sausage-shaped vesicles)
- 2.7 Atopic Dermatitis (flexural, nummular)
- 2.8 Photodermatitis (submentum spared)
- 3.1 Variola (all in same stage)
- 3.2 Varicella (all in different stages)
- 3.3 Staphylococcal (“Staph”) Scalded Skin Syndrome (hot iron)
- 3.4 Impetigo (honey crust)
- 3.5 Subacute Bacterial Endocarditis (splinter hemorrhages)
- 3.6 Hansen Disease (Leprosy) (red leg)
- 3.7 Mycobacterium Marinum Infection (fish tank granuloma)
- 3.8 Lupus Vulgaris (apple jelly nodules)
- 3.9 Chancroid (painful penile ulcer)
- 3.10 Primary Syphilis (painless penile ulcer)
- 3.11 Congenital Syphilis (rhagades, Hutchinson teeth)
- 3.12 Lymphogranuloma Venereum (bubo, groove sign)
- 3.13 Immersion Foot (jungle rot)
- 3.14 Erythrasma (coral red)
- 3.15 Lyme Disease (large “target” lesion)
- 3.16 Tinea Pedis (one hand-two feet syndrome)
- 3.17 Tinea Capitis (kerion, black dot)
- 3.18 Tinea Versicolor (scaling patches)
- 3.19 Pseudomonal Infection (green nail)
- 3.20 Herpes Simplex (whitlow, grouped vesicles)
- 3.21 Scarlet Fever (strawberry tongue, sandpaper)
- 3.22 Fifth Disease (slapped cheeks)
- 4.1 Erythema Multiforme (small target)
- 4.2 Papular Urticaria (central punctum)
- 4.3 Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy (striae)
- 4.4 Pyoderma Gangrenosum (overhanging border)
- 4.5 Urticaria (wheals, “hives”)
- 4.6 Erythroderma (red man)
- 4.7 Pseudopelade (footprints in the snow)
- 4.8 Erythema Annulare Centrifugum (trailing scale)
- 4.9 Scabies (finger webs, burrows)
- 5.1 Fabry Disease (maltese cross)
- 5.2 Ichthyosis Vulgaris (plate-like scale)
- 5.3 X-Linked Ichthyosis (dirty scale)
- 5.4 Tuberous Sclerosis (ash leaf, shagreen patch)
- 5.5 Sturge–Weber Syndrome (first trigeminal port-wine stain)
- 5.6 Neurofibromatosis (coast of California)
- 5.7 McCune–Albright Syndrome (coast of Maine)
- 5.8 Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (werewolf)
- 5.9 Coumadin (Warfarin) Necrosis (Coumadin)
- 5.10 Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (plucked chicken skin)
- 5.11 Netherton Syndrome (bamboo hair, double-track scale)
- 5.12 Menkes Syndrome (kinky hair, Cupid’s bow)
- 5.13 Vitiligo (speckled hyperpigmentation)
- 6.1 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (butterfly rash)
- 6.2 Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (follicular plugging)
- 6.3 Scleroderma (sclerodactyly, CREST)
- 6.4 Morphea (lilac border)
- 6.5 Eosinophilia–Myalgia Syndrome (tryptophan)
- 6.6 Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum (yellow plaque on shin)
- 6.7 Graves Disease (proptosis)
- 6.8 Amyloidosis (pinch purpura)
- 6.9 Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (heparin)
- 6.10 Antiphospholipid Syndrome (lupus anticoagulant)
- 6.11 Purpura Fulminans (blue nose)
- 6.12 Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis (palpable purpura)
- 6.13 Schamberg Disease (cayenne pepper)
- 6.14 Alopecia Areata (exclamation point hair)
- 6.15 Dermatomyositis (Gottron papules, heliotrope)
- 6.16 Degos Disease (porcelain white)
- 6.17 Sarcoidosis (bulging lacrimals)
- 6.18 Acanthosis Nigricans (velvety plaque)
- 6.19 Follicular Mucinosis (pig skin)
- 6.20 Spider Angioma (spider)
- 6.21 Pellagra (Casal’s necklace)
- 6.22 Diabetes (dermopathy)
- 6.23 Addison Disease (dark scars, dark creases)
- 7.1 Lymphangioma Circumscriptum (frog spawn)
- 7.2 Dermatofibroma (stony hard, button-like)
- 7.3 Seborrheic Keratosis (stuck on)
- 7.4 Molluscum Contagiosum (small central dell)
- 7.5 Keratoacanthoma (large central dell)
- 7.6 Basal Cell Carcinoma (pearly, rolled border)
- 7.7 Melanoma (ABCD)
- 7.8 Subungual Melanoma (Hutchinson sign)
- 7.9a Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus (blue angel)
- 7.9b Angiolipomas (blue angel)
- 7.9c Neurilemmoma (blue angel)
- 7.9d Glomus Tumor (blue angel)
- 7.9e Eccrine Spiradenoma (blue angel)
- 7.9f Leiomyoma (blue angel)
- 7.10 Mycosis Fungoides (infiltrated plaque)
- 7.11 Porokeratosis (rim)
- 7.12 Atypical Nevus (ugly duckling)
- 7.13 Atypical Nevus (eclipse nevus)
- 7.14 Kaposi Sarcoma (human herpesvirus 8)
- 7.15 Blue Nevus (blue papule)
- 7.16 Apocrine Hidrocystoma (blue cyst)
- 7.17 Pyogenic Granuloma (collarette)
- 7.18 Halo Nevus (halo)
- 8.1 Cutaneous Larva Migrans (moving rash)
- 8.2 Pityriasis Lichenoides et Varioliformis Acuta (PLEVA) (varioliform)
- 8.3 Atrophie Blanche (ivory white)
- 8.4 Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (cherry red)
- 8.5 Loose Anagen Syndrome (floppy sock)
- 8.6 Trichorrhexis Nodosa (broomsticks)
- 8.7 Trichotillomania (different length hair)
- 8.8 Subungual Hematoma (turf toe)
- 8.9 Telogen Effluvium (defluvium)
Product Details
- Paperback: 197 pages
- Publisher: Springer; 1st edition (December 23, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 184882839X
- ISBN-13: 978-1848828391
- Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches