Category: Diagnostic Reference Sheets
General Information Chondrodermatitis Nodularis Chronica Helicis (CNH) is a painful inflammatory condition affecting the ear sometimes called Winkler disease. CNH is most often seen in middle-aged or elderly men but may also affect women and younger adults. It results in a benign tender lump in the cartilaginous portion of the ear, the helix. The cause […]
General Information Cellulitis is an acute infection of skin and soft tissues characterized by localized pain, swelling, tenderness, erythema, and warmth. Cellulitis is unrelated to cellulite, a cosmetic condition featuring dimpling of the skin. Predisposing conditions for cellulitis include insect bite, animal bite, tattoos, pruritic skin rash, recent surgery, athlete’s foot, dry skin, eczema, injecting […]
General Information Candidiasis, commonly called yeast infection, is a fungal infection (mycosis) of any of the Candida species. Candida albicans is the most common of the Candida species. The range of infection ranges superficial to systemic and potentially life threatening disease. A severe disease is usually confined to severely immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients. […]
General Information Bullous Pemphigoid is a chronic skin disease characterized by blisters. The blisters usually appear on the flexural areas. A small percentage of individuals may also develop blisters in the mouth or down the throat. The disease is mainly seen in elderly individuals in the fifth through seventh decade of life. Intense pruritus usually […]
General Information Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous carcinoma with an annual U.S. incidence of approximately 900,000 cases, outnumbering the next most prevalent carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma) by a factor of four and melanoma by a factor of 20. Common to the aforementioned neoplasms, the etiology of BCC is most closely related […]
General Information Balanitis generally affects uncircumcised males, characterized by the glans and foreskin becoming red and inflamed. In circumcised men, who lack a foreskin, these symptoms only affect the tip of the penis. The condition often occurs due to the fungus Candida albicans, the same organism that causes vaginal yeast infections in women. Balanitis (which […]
General Information Aphthous Ulcers, also known as canker sores or aphthous stomatitis, are characterized by small lesions that develop in the mouth under the tongue, inside the cheeks or lips and at the base of the gums. The cause of aphthous ulcers remains unclear, though researchers believe a combination of factors contributes to the development […]
General Information Angiolipoma is a slow growing, benign tumor containing vascular (blood vessels) and mature adipose (fat cells) elements. Multiple angiolipomas usually appear, the first appearing just after puberty. This benign tumor is commonly found on the trunk, neck or in the extremities. Angiolipomas are categorized into two subtypes: non-infiltrating and infiltrating, with non-infiltrating being […]
General Information Androgenetic Alopecia (AA) or common baldness is essentially a cosmetic disorder. The disorder is significant only in that it allows ultraviolet light to reach the scalp and, thus, increasing the amount of actinic damage. The scalp has a 3-phase cycle of hair with almost 90% of hair in the anagen (growth) phase which […]
General Information Alopecia Areata (AA) is a recurrent nonscarring type of hair loss that can affect any hair-bearing area. AA is a relatively common condition-affecting individual of any age, mainly patients between the ages of 15 and 40. The cause of AA remains unknown, though much evidence suggests that it is an autoimmune abnormality and […]