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Common skin conditions
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Skin coloured lumps and bumps may be difficult to distinguish one from another. It is helpful to consider body site, location within the skin, size, consistency and morphology. Some common lesions are described here.
First, a reminder about terminology in dermatology.
For each of the twelve cases, study the image(s) and then answer the questions. You can click on the image to view a larger version if required.
Each case should take approximately 2 minutes to complete. There is a list of suggested further reading material at the end of the quiz.
Name this skin coloured condition.
Epidermal cyst
Describe the disorder
Keratinous cysts range in size from a few millimetres to several centimetres in diameter. They are firm dermal papules / nodules, fixed to the overlying skin in keeping with their epidermal origin. They are usually found on the neck or trunk, but may arise anywhere. Careful inspection will reveal a central opening, through which cheese-like malodorous contents may sometimes be expressed. The giant open comedo is a variant with a black keratinous core. Epidermal cysts are encapsulated; they become inflamed if the cyst contents rupture through the capsule into surrounding dermis. Antibiotics are often prescribed but in fact true infection is uncommon. Excision can be tricky after recurrent inflammatory episodes.