Skin Lesions: Types and Characteristics

Study Notes

Benign skin lesions:
- Seborrheic keratoses: non-cancerous growths that appear as dark spots or patches on the skin
- Moles: small, dark skin growths that are usually harmless
- Warts: small, rough growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Skin tags: soft, benign growths that hang from the skin
Premalignant skin lesions:
- Actinic keratoses: small, rough patches on sun-exposed areas that can potentially develop into skin cancer
- Dysplastic nevi: abnormal moles that can increase the risk of melanoma
Malignant skin lesions:
- Basal cell carcinoma: most common type of skin cancer, often appears as a small, shiny bump or nodule
- Squamous cell carcinoma: second most common type of skin cancer, often appears as a red, scaly patch or bump
- Melanoma: most aggressive and deadly type of skin cancer, often appears as a changing mole or new dark spot

Size and shape: size can vary from a few millimeters to several centimeters; shape can be irregular, spherical, or oval
Color: can be skin-colored, pink, red, black, blue, or brown
Location: can occur anywhere on the body, but more common on sun-exposed areas
Surface characteristics: can be flat, raised, smooth, rough, scaly, or ulcerated
Pain and tenderness: some skin lesions can be painful or tender to the touch

Visual examination: visual inspection of the skin lesion by a healthcare professional
Dermatoscopy: examination of the skin lesion using a handheld magnifying device
Biopsy: removal of a sample of skin tissue for examination under a microscope
Imaging tests: such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans to rule out other conditions

Topical treatments: creams, ointments, or lotions applied directly to the skin lesion
Cryotherapy: freezing the skin lesion with liquid nitrogen
Surgical excision: removal of the skin lesion through surgery
Laser therapy: using laser light to destroy the skin lesion

Benign skin lesions include seborrheic keratoses, moles, warts, and skin tags, which are non-cancerous growths.
Premalignant skin lesions include actinic keratoses, which are small, rough patches on sun-exposed areas, and dysplastic nevi, which are abnormal moles.
Malignant skin lesions include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, which are all types of skin cancer.

Skin lesions can vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters and have irregular, spherical, or oval shapes.
They can appear in various colors, including skin-colored, pink, red, black, blue, or brown.
Skin lesions can occur anywhere on the body but are more common on sun-exposed areas.
Surface characteristics of skin lesions can be flat, raised, smooth, rough, scaly, or ulcerated.
Some skin lesions can be painful or tender to the touch.

Visual examination involves a healthcare professional inspecting the skin lesion.
Dermatoscopy uses a handheld magnifying device to examine the skin lesion.
Biopsy involves removing a sample of skin tissue for examination under a microscope.
Imaging tests, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans, can rule out other conditions.

Topical treatments involve applying creams, ointments, or lotions directly to the skin lesion.
Cryotherapy involves freezing the skin lesion with liquid nitrogen.
Surgical excision involves removing the skin lesion through surgery.
Laser therapy uses laser light to destroy the skin lesion.