Monthly Archives: August 2007
Anatomy and Physiology of Human
The skin is an impressively large and heavy organ. It occupies well over a square meter of surface area and accounts for about 20% of total body weight. As the boundary between our body and a hostile world, it serves … Continue reading
Treatment of Acne Vulgaris
Diagnostic Hallmarks Distribution- face and shoulders Pustules are intermingled with comedones and inflammatory papules Clinical Presentation A wide variety of lesions are found in acne, only a portion of which are pustules. Open comedones (blackheads) consist of a pigmented keratinous … Continue reading
Benefit of Sunscreens
Sunburn and photoinduced carcinogenesis occur as the result of irradiation in the ultraviolet B (UVB) (280- to 320-nm) range of light. Blockage of these wavelengths can be obtained through the use of sunscreens containing benzophenones, salicylates, p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), esters … Continue reading
What are Melanocytes?
Melanocytes account for about 1 % of the cells of the epidermis. These dendritic, pigment-producing cells are derived from the neural crest and are first identified in the epidermis in 8-week-old embryos. In normal skin, they are found exclusively in … Continue reading
Effects of Fungal Folliculitis
Diagnostic Hallmarks Distribution- hands, arms, legs, and scalp Marked tendency for clustering Lack of response to antibacterial therapy Potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation and fungal culture Clinical Presentation The dermatophyte fungi Microspar’um canis, Trichophyton rubrum, T mentagrophytes, and T. verrucosum may … Continue reading
Layers of the Skin
Epidermis The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and is the thinnest of the three layers. In practical terms, it 3 is no thicker than three or four pages of this book. The epidermis is responsible for the … Continue reading
What are Freckles?
Diagnostic Hallmarks Distribution: sun-exposed surfaces Fade in winter, darken in summer Size: smaller than 4 mm Occurrence primarily in children Clinical Presentation Freckles are light-brown macules 1 to 3 mm in diameter. They occur as closely set, but not confluent, … Continue reading