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Macule:
Circumscribed lesion of <5 mm in diameter characterized by flatness and usually discolored (often red)
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Patch:
Circumscribed lesion of >5 mm in diameter characterized by flatness and usually discolored (often red)
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Papule:
Elevated dome-shaped or flat-topped lesion <5 mm across.
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Nodule:
Elevated lesion with spherical contour >5 mm across.
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Plaque:
Elevated flat-topped lesion, usually >5 mm across (may be caused by coalescent papules).
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Vesicle:
Fluid-filled raised lesion <5 mm across.
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Bulla:
Fluid-filled raised lesion >5 mm across.
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Blister:
Common term used for vesicle or bulla.
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Pustule:
Discrete, pus-filled, raised lesion.
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Wheal:
Itchy, transient, elevated lesion with variable blanching and erythema formed as the result of dermal edema.
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Scale:
Dry, horny, plate-like excrescence; usually the result of imperfect cornification (i.e., keratinization).
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Lichenification:
Thickened and rough skin characterized by prominent skin markings; usually the result of repeated rubbing in susceptible persons.
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Excoriation:
Traumatic lesion characterized by breakage of the epidermis, causing a raw linear area (i.e., a deep scratch)
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Onycholysis:
Separation of nail plate from nail bed.
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Hyperkeratosis:
Thickening of the stratum corneum, often associated with a qualitative abnormality of the keratin.
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Parakeratosis:
Modes of keratinization characterized by the retention of the nuclei in the stratum corneum. On mucous membranes, parakeratosis is normal.
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Hypergranulosis:
Hyperplasia of the stratum granulosum, often due to intense rubbing.
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Acanthosis:
Diffuse epidermal hyperplasia.
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Papillomatosis:
Surface elevation caused by hyperplasia and enlargement of contiguous dermal papillae.
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Dyskeratosis:
DYSPLASIA, Abnormal keratinization occurring prematurely within individual cells or groups of cells below the stratum granulosum..
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Acantholysis:
Loss of intercellular connections resulting in loss of cohesion between keratinocytes.
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Spongiosis:
Intercellular edema of the epidermis.
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Hydropic swelling (ballooning):
Intracellular edema of keratinocytes.
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Exocytosis:
Infiltration of the epidermis by inflammatory or circulating blood cells.
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Erosion:
Discontinuity of the skin exhibiting incomplete loss of the epidermis.
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Ulceration:
Discontinuity of the skin exhibiting complete loss of the epidermis and often of portions of the dermis and even subcutaneous fat.
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Vacuolization:
Formation of vacuoles within or adjacent to cells; often refers to basal cell-basement membrane zone area.
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Lentiginous:
Referring to a linear pattern of melanocyte proliferation within the epidermal basal cell layer. Lentiginous melanocytic hyperplasia can occur as a reactive change or as part of a neoplasm of melanocytes.
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