Search results
-
Acne Vulgaris
General Information Acne Vulgaris is also known as common acne, pimples, spots, or zits. This common skin disease affects 85% – 100% of people at some point of their lives. Acne Vulgaris can lead to physical pain and scarring as well as psycho- social suffering. Comedones, papules, pustules, and nodules in a sebaceous distribution characterize […]
-
Actinic Cheilitis
General Information Actinic Cheilosis (actinic cheilitis) is a diffuse, degenerative, irreversible alteration of the vermilion border of the lower lip. Occurring primarily in men Actinic Cheilitis does not appear until later on in life. The cause is often extreme sun exposure during young adult life. The lip becomes puffy, blotchy red and pale pink, with […]
-
Actinic Keratosis (AK)
General Information Actinic Keratosis (AK) or Solar Keratosis is characterized by dysplasia and architectural disorder of the epidermis. Keratinocytes of the basal layer are abnormal, demonstrating variable sizes and shapes. Cellular polarity is altered, and nuclear atypia is seen. These alterations may extend upward to the granular layer, which may be thinned. Overall, the epidermis […]
-
Alopecia Areata
General Information Alopecia Areata (AA) is a recurrent nonscarring type of hair loss that can affect any hair-bearing area. AA is a relatively common condition-affecting individual of any age, mainly patients between the ages of 15 and 40. The cause of AA remains unknown, though much evidence suggests that it is an autoimmune abnormality and […]
-
Androgenetic Alopecia
General Information Androgenetic Alopecia (AA) or common baldness is essentially a cosmetic disorder. The disorder is significant only in that it allows ultraviolet light to reach the scalp and, thus, increasing the amount of actinic damage. The scalp has a 3-phase cycle of hair with almost 90% of hair in the anagen (growth) phase which […]
-
Angiolipomas
General Information Angiolipoma is a slow growing, benign tumor containing vascular (blood vessels) and mature adipose (fat cells) elements. Multiple angiolipomas usually appear, the first appearing just after puberty. This benign tumor is commonly found on the trunk, neck or in the extremities. Angiolipomas are categorized into two subtypes: non-infiltrating and infiltrating, with non-infiltrating being […]
-
Aphthous Ulcers
General Information Aphthous Ulcers, also known as canker sores or aphthous stomatitis, are characterized by small lesions that develop in the mouth under the tongue, inside the cheeks or lips and at the base of the gums. The cause of aphthous ulcers remains unclear, though researchers believe a combination of factors contributes to the development […]
-
Balanitis
General Information Balanitis generally affects uncircumcised males, characterized by the glans and foreskin becoming red and inflamed. In circumcised men, who lack a foreskin, these symptoms only affect the tip of the penis. The condition often occurs due to the fungus Candida albicans, the same organism that causes vaginal yeast infections in women. Balanitis (which […]
-
Basal Cell Carcinoma
General Information Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous carcinoma with an annual U.S. incidence of approximately 900,000 cases, outnumbering the next most prevalent carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma) by a factor of four and melanoma by a factor of 20. Common to the aforementioned neoplasms, the etiology of BCC is most closely related […]
-
Bullous Pemphigoid
General Information Bullous Pemphigoid is a chronic skin disease characterized by blisters. The blisters usually appear on the flexural areas. A small percentage of individuals may also develop blisters in the mouth or down the throat. The disease is mainly seen in elderly individuals in the fifth through seventh decade of life. Intense pruritus usually […]