Types of Skin Lesions

1. Primary Skin Lesions

2. Secondary Skin Lesions
3. Vascular Skin Lesions

Lesion Characteristics
I. Primary Lesions
a. Bulla - Elevated and palpable
(pl. Bullae) - With a circumscribed
border (clear, defined)
- Fluid filled and more
than 0.5cm in diameter

b. Cyst - Encapsulated fluid-filled

or semisolid mass
- Does not always
elevate above the skin
- Location: dermis or
subcutaneous tissue

c. Macule - Small, flat, non-palpable

skin color change
- With a circumscribed
border and is less than 1
cm

d. Nodule - Elevated, palpable solid

mass that is within
0.5cm to 2cm
- With a circumscribed
border
- Location: extends
deeper into the dermis
or subcutaneous tissue
(deeper than papules)
e. Papule - Solid, elevated, palpable
lesion with no visible
fluid that is less than
0.5cm
f. Patch - Flat, non-palpable skin
color change
- Irregular border and is
more than 1 cm

g. Plaque - Elevated or depressed

palpable lesions
- May be a group of
papules with a flat top
- The surface area is
greater than 0.5cm in
diameter
- The surface area is
greater than its height

h. Pustule - Circumscribed elevation

of the skin that contains
a purulent exudate that
may be white, yellow, or
greenish-yellow in color

i. Tumor - Elevated, palpable solid

mass that is more than
1-2cm
- Border is not always
circumscribed
- Location: extends
deeper into the dermis
or subcutaneous tissue
(deeper than papules)
j. Vesicle - Elevated and palpable
- With a circumscribed
border (clear, defined)
- Fluid filled and less than
0.5cm in diameter
 k. Wheal - Elevated mass with an
evanescent or flat top
- May be edematous but
does not contain free
fluid like a vesicle or
bullae
- Transient borders that is
often irregular
- Often erythematous
(redness on the skin)
and pruritic (itchy)
II. Secondary
Lesions - Loss of superficial
a. Erosion epidermis

b. Fissure - Linear crack in the skin

that may extend to the
dermis
 c. Scar - Occurs whenever Hypertrophic scar
ulceration has taken
place
- Reflects a pattern of
healing (Red or purple:
young scars; white or
glistening: mature
scars)
- Types of scar:
o Hypertrophic –
deposits of excessive
amounts if collagen Atrophic scar
which gives rise to a
raised scar
o Atrophic –
imbalanced scarring;
indented scar that
heals below skin
o Cribriform – a type Cribriform scar
scar that looks
perforated with
multiple small pits

d. Ulcer - Loss of the epidermis,

dermis (and sometimes
deeper tissue)
- With necrotic tissue loss
- Bleeding and scarring
are possible
III.Vascular Skin
Lesions - Papular and round, red
a. Cherry angioma or purple lesion
- Location: trunk or
extremities
- May blanch with
pressure
- Normally associated
with age-related skin
changes
b. Ecchymosis - Circumscribed or
(pl. ecchymoses) irregular macular lesion
that is bigger than a
petechiae
- Associated with trauma
and bleeding tendencies
c. Hematoma - Localized collection of
blood creating and
elevated ecchymosis

d. Petechia - Round red or purple that

(pl. petechiae) is 1-2mm in diameter
- Associated with
bleeding tendencies or
emboli

e. Spider angioma - Red lesion with a central

body with radiating
branches
- Location: noted on the
face, neck, arms, and
trunk
- Associated with liver
disease, pregnancy and
VIt B deficiency
f. Telangiectasis - Bluish or red lesion on
(Venous Star) the legs and anterior
chest
- Does not blanch when
pressure is applied
- Associated with
varicosities