|
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e
| Part 2. Cardinal Manifestations and Presentation of Diseases > Section 9. Alterations in the Skin > |
Chapter 51. Approach to the Patient with a Skin Disorder
Sections: Approach to the Patient with a Skin Disorder: Introduction, Further Readings.
Topics Discussed: dermatologic disorders; dermatologic drug reactions and self-treatable skin disorders; skin abnormalities.
Excerpt:"The challenge of examining the skin lies in distinguishing normal from abnormal, significant findings from trivial ones, and in integrating pertinent signs and symptoms into an appropriate differential diagnosis. The fact that the largest organ in the body is visible is both an advantage and a disadvantage to those who examine it. It is advantageous because no special instrumentation is necessary and because the skin can be biopsied with little morbidity. However, the casual observer can be misled by a variety of stimuli and overlook important, subtle signs of skin or systemic disease. For instance, the sometimes minor differences in color and shape that distinguish a melanoma (Fig. 51-1) from a benign nevomelanocytic nevus (Fig. 51-2) can be difficult to recognize. To aid in the interpretation of skin lesions, a variety of descriptive terms have been developed to characterize cutaneous lesions (Tables 51-1, 51-2, and 51-3 as well as Fig. 51-3) and to formulate a differential diagnosis (Table 51-4). For instance, the finding of scaling papules (present in patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis) places the patient in a different diagnostic category than would hemorrhagic papules, which may indicate vasculitis or sepsis (Figs. 51-4..."
The content above is only an excerpt.
For full access, log into an existing user account below,
purchase an annual subscription, or
purchase a short-term subscription to the complete website.
|
|
|
|
Or
|
|
|
|