Skin Disorders and Diseases

Many skin diseases can be diagnosed on gross clinical appearance, but sometimes relatively simple diagnostic procedures can yield valuable information. In most instances, they can be performed at the bedside with a minimum of equipment. In examining the skin it is usually advisable to assess the patient before taking a history. This way, the entire cutaneous surface is sure to be evaluated, and objective findings can be integrated with relevant historic data.

DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES

• Diascopy Diascopy is designed to assess whether a skin lesion will blanch with pressure as, for example, in determining whether a red lesion is hemorrhagic or simply blood-filled.
• Skin Biopsy A skin biopsy is a straightforward minor surgical procedure; however, it is important to biopsy the anatomic site most likely to yield diagnostic findings.
• Patch Tests Patch testing is designed to document sensitivity to a specific antigen.
• KOH Preparation A potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation is performed on scaling skin lesions when a fungal etiology is suspected.
• Tzanck Smear A Tzanck smear is a cytologic technique most often used in the diagnosis of herpesvirus infections [simplex or varicella-zoster.
• Wood's Light A Wood's lamp generates 360-nm ultraviolet (or "black") light that can be used to aid the evaluation of certain skin disorders.

Amyloidosis
Connective tissue naevi
Dermatofibroma
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Ehler's Danlos syndrome
Elastosis perforans serpiginosa
Keloids & hypertrophic scars
Lipodystrophy
Lipoma
Mastocytoma
Neurofibroma
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Reactive perforating collagenosis
Striae (stretch marks)
Eosinophilic fasciitis
Erythema multiforme
Histiocytoses
Jessner's lymphocytic infiltrate
Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Lymphocytoma cutis
Lymphomatoid papulosis
Mastocytosis
Morphoea
Non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Panniculitis
Reticulohistiocytosis
Sweet's disease
Systemic sclerosis
Atypical mycobacterial infection
Granuloma faciale
Granuloma annulare
Cutaneous tuberculosis
Leprosy
Pyogenic granuloma
Sarcoidosis