Papule

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Papule
Fibrous papule of the nose 01.jpg
Fibrous papule of the nose
Pronunciation
Specialty Dermatology [2]
Symptoms Small, well-defined bump in skin [2]

A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the skin. [2] It may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip. [2] It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look warty. [3] It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth. [2] Some have crusts or scales. [2] A papule can be flesh colored, yellow, white, brown, red, blue or purplish. [4] There may be just one or many, and they may occur irregularly in different parts of the body or appear in clusters. [2] It does not contain fluid but may progress to a pustule or vesicle. [2] A papule is smaller than a nodule; it can be as tiny as a pinhead and is typically less than 1 cm in width, according to some sources, [2] [3] and 0.5 cm according to others. [4] When merged together, it appears as a plaque. [4]

Contents

A papule's colour might indicate its cause, such as white in milia, red in eczema, yellowish in xanthoma and black in melanoma. [2] They may open when scratched and become infected and crusty. [5]

Definition

Papule and plaque Papule and Plaque.svg
Papule and plaque

A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the skin. [2] It is smaller than a nodule; it can be as tiny as a pinhead and is typically less than 1 cm in width, according to some sources, [2] [3] and 0.5 cm according to others. [4]

Evaluation

A papule may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip. [2] It can be polygonal but is never rectangular or square. [6] It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look warty. [3] Ulceration, oozing, bleeding or thin blood vessels may be present in a papule. [6] It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth. [2] Some have crusts or scales. [2] A papule can be flesh colored, yellow, white, brown, black, blue or purplish, or varying shades of red. [4] [6] The intensity of redness might indicate how long the papule has been present. [6] There may be just one or many, and they may occur irregularly in different parts of the body or appear in clusters. [2] It may progress to a pustule or vesicle. [2]

Differential diagnosis

Angiofibromas are papules, types of which include the usually solitary fibrous papule of the nose and periungual angiofibroma, and multiple in pearly penile papules, and the facial angiofibromas as may be seen in tuberous sclerosis. [7]

Papules with scale on the palms and soles may occur in secondary syphilis, psoriasis, eczema, tinea manuum, mycosis fungoides. [6] In lichen planus papules may be itchy, flat-topped, polygonal, purplish with white streaks, and can be solitary, or occur in clusters or in a line. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orf (disease)</span> Human disease

Orf is a farmyard pox, a type of zoonosis. It causes small pustules in the skin of primarily sheep and goats, but can also occur on the hands of humans. A pale halo forms around a red centre. It may persist for several weeks before crusting and then either resolves or leaves a hard lump. There is usually only one lesion, but there may be many, and they are not painful. Sometimes there are swollen lymph glands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinea cruris</span> Fungal infection

Tinea cruris, also known as jock itch, is a common type of contagious, superficial fungal infection of the groin and buttocks region, which occurs predominantly but not exclusively in men and in hot-humid climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xanthoma</span> Deposit of cholesterol within bodily tissue

A xanthoma is a deposition of yellowish cholesterol-rich material that can appear anywhere in the body in various disease states. They are cutaneous manifestations of lipidosis in which lipids accumulate in large foam cells within the skin. They are associated with hyperlipidemias, both primary and secondary types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skin condition</span> Any medical condition that affects the integumentary system

A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier against the external environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pearly penile papules</span> Small bumps on the head of the human penis

Pearly penile papules are benign, small bumps or spots on the human penis. They vary in size from 1–4 mm, are pearly or flesh-colored, smooth and dome-topped or filiform, and appear in one or, several rows around the corona, the ridge of the head of the penis and sometimes on the penile shaft. They are painless, non-cancerous and not harmful. The medical condition of having such papules is called hirsutoid papillomatosis or hirsuties papillaris coronae glandis.

Bromoderma is a skin condition characterized by an eruption of papules and pustules on the skin. It is caused by hypersensitivity to bromides, such as those found in certain drugs. There is at least one reported case of bromoderma caused by excessive consumption of a soft drink containing brominated vegetable oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nodule (medicine)</span> Solid, non-blisterform elevated areas in or under the skin

In medicine, nodules are small firm lumps, usually greater than 1 cm in diameter. If filled with fluid they are referred to as cysts. Smaller raised soft tissue bumps may be termed papules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue nevus</span> Type of melanocytic tumor

A blue nevus is a type of coloured mole, typically a single well-defined blue-black bump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adenoma sebaceum</span> Medical condition

Adenoma sebaceum, also known as facial angiofibroma is a misnamed cutaneous disorder consisting of angiofibromas that begin in childhood and appear clinically as red papules on the face especially on the nasolabial folds, cheek and chin, often misidentified as acne not responding to treatment. Adenoma sebaceum may at times be associated with tuberous sclerosis. Gradually the papules become more prominent with time and persist throughout life. Cosmetic removal by argon or pulse dye laser or scalpel is indicated.

Variola caprina is a contagious viral disease caused by Goatpox virus, a pox virus that affects goats. The virus usually spreads via the respiratory system, and sometimes spreads through abraded skin. It is most likely to occur in crowded stock. Sources of the virus include cutaneous lesions, saliva, nasal secretions and faeces. There are two types of the disease: the papulo-vesicular form and the nodular form. The incubation period is usually 8–13 days, but it may be as short as four days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angiofibroma</span> Class of benign skin and mucous membrane lesions

Angiofibroma (AGF) is a descriptive term for a wide range of benign skin or mucous membrane lesions in which individuals have:

  1. benign papules, i.e. pinhead-sized elevations that lack visible evidence of containing fluid;
  2. nodules, i.e. small firm lumps usually >0.1 cm in diameter; and/or
  3. tumors, i.e. masses often regarded as ~0.8 cm or larger.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fibrous papule of the nose</span> Medical condition

Fibrous papule of the nose is a harmless small bump on or near the nose. It is typically dome-shaped, skin-colored, white or reddish, smooth and firm.Less frequently it can occur elsewhere on the face. Sometimes there are a few. It may be shiny and remains unchanged for life. There may be a central hair.

Targetoid hemosiderotic hemangioma, also known as a hobnail hemangioma is a skin condition characterized by a central brown or purplish papule that is surrounded by an ecchymotic halo. It may appear similar to melanoma. It was first described by Santa Cruz and Aronberg in 1988.

Id reactions are types of acute dermatitis developing after days or weeks at skin locations distant from the initial inflammatory or infectious site. They can be localised or generalised. This is also known as an 'autoeczematous response' and there must be an identifiable initial inflammatory or infectious skin problem which leads to the generalised eczema. Often intensely itchy, the red papules and pustules can also be associated with blisters and scales and are always remote from the primary lesion. It is most commonly a blistering rash with itchy vesicles on the sides of fingers and feet as a reaction to fungal infection on the feet, athlete's foot. Stasis dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, acute irritant contact eczema and infective dermatitis have been documented as possible triggers, but the exact cause and mechanism is not fully understood. Several other types of id reactions exist including erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, Sweet's syndrome and urticaria.

Granulosis rubra nasi is a rare familial disease of children, occurring on the nose, cheeks, and chin, characterized by diffuse redness, persistent excessive sweating, and small dark red papules that disappear on diascopic pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis</span> Inflammation of small blood vessels, accompanied by skin bumps

Cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis (CSVV) is inflammation of small blood vessels, usually accompanied by small lumps beneath the skin. The condition is also known as hypersensitivity vasculitis, cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis, hypersensitivity angiitis, cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis, cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis and cutaneous necrotizing venulitis,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fungal folliculitis</span> Inflammation of hair follicles due to fungal infection

Majocchi's granuloma is a skin condition characterized by deep, pustular plaques, and is a form of tinea corporis. It is a localized form of fungal folliculitis. Lesions often have a pink and scaly central component with pustules or folliculocentric papules at the periphery. The name comes from Domenico Majocchi, who discovered the disorder in 1883. Majocchi was a professor of dermatology at the University of Parma and later the University of Bologna. This disease is most commonly caused by filamentous fungi in the genus Trichophyton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia</span> Medical condition

Cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia refers to a groups of benign cutaneous disorders characterized by collections of lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells in the skin. Conditions included in this groups are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebaceous adenoma</span> Medical condition

Sebaceous adenomais a type of adenoma, characterized by a slow-growing tumor usually presenting as a pink, flesh-coloured, or yellow papule or nodule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skin manifestations of sarcoidosis</span> Medical condition

Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease, involves the skin in about 25% of patients. The most common lesions are erythema nodosum, plaques, maculopapular eruptions, subcutaneous nodules, and lupus pernio. Treatment is not required, since the lesions usually resolve spontaneously in two to four weeks. Although it may be disfiguring, cutaneous sarcoidosis rarely causes major problems.

References

  1. "Papule definition and meaning - Collins English Dictionary".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 James, William D.; Elston, Dirk; Treat, James R.; Rosenbach, Misha A.; Neuhaus, Isaac (2020). "2. Cutaneous signs and diagnosis". Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (13th ed.). Elsevier. p. 11. ISBN   978-0-323-54753-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Oakley, Amanda. "Terminology in dermatology". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Dinulos, James G. H. (2019). "1. Principles of diagnosis and anatomy". Habif's Clinical Dermatology (7th ed.). Elsevier. p. 4. ISBN   978-0-323-61269-2.
  5. "papule" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Allen, Herbert B. (2010). "1. Papulosquamous diseases". Dermatology Terminology. Philadelphia: Springer. pp. 1–13. ISBN   978-1-84882-839-1.
  7. Paller, Amy S.; Mancini, Anthony J. (2020). "9. Cutaneous tumors and tumor syndromes". Clinical Pediatric Dermatology: A Textbook of Skin Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence (6th ed.). St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. p. 251. ISBN   978-0-323-54988-2.