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Articles
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Diagnosis of Erysipelas
Erysipelas is usually identified through clinical evaluation rather than through a single definitive laboratory test. It is a superficial skin and soft tissue infection, most often caused by group A Streptococcus , that involves the upper layers of the skin and lymphatic vessels. Because the bacteria trigger a rapid inflammatory response, the affected skin often…
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Diagnosis of Cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a lupus-related disorder that primarily affects the skin. It is identified through a combination of clinical appearance, patient history, laboratory evaluation, and, when needed, skin biopsy. Because several autoimmune, inflammatory, and infectious skin diseases can resemble it, diagnosis depends on careful correlation of findings rather than a single definitive test in…
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Diagnosis of Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is usually identified by combining the appearance of the skin, the pattern of exposure, and the timing of the reaction. It is an inflammatory skin disorder caused by direct contact with a substance that either irritates the skin or triggers an immune response. The two main forms are irritant contact dermatitis , which…
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Diagnosis of Chickenpox
Chickenpox is usually identified through its characteristic clinical pattern: a febrile illness followed by an itchy rash that evolves in stages. In many cases, especially when the presentation is typical, a clinician can make a diagnosis based on appearance alone. Accurate diagnosis matters because chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is highly contagious…
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Diagnosis of Cellulitis
Cellulitis is usually identified through a combination of clinical judgment, physical examination, and selective testing rather than through one definitive laboratory marker. It is a bacterial infection of the deeper layers of the skin and the underlying soft tissue, most often caused by Streptococcus or Staphylococcus species. These bacteria enter through a break in the…
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Diagnosis of Carbuncle
Carbuncle is usually identified through a combination of clinical appearance, symptom history, and, when needed, laboratory testing of material from the lesion. It is a deeper, more extensive skin infection than a simple boil, typically involving a cluster of connected hair follicles and the surrounding dermal tissue. Because the infection can spread within the skin…
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Diagnosis of Bullous pemphigoid
Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune blistering disease in which the immune system mistakenly targets structural proteins that help anchor the outer layer of the skin to deeper layers. When those attachments are damaged, the skin separates at the junction and tense blisters can form. Diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical suspicion, skin examination,…