Editing Skin condition (section)

{{Short description|Any medical condition that affects the integumentary system}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name            = Skin condition
| synonyms        = Cutaneous condition
| image           = 3D medical animation skin layers.jpg
| alt             =
| caption         = 3D medical illustration showing major layers of skin
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| pronounce       =
| field           = [[Dermatology]]
| symptoms        =
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| causes          = Bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, insects, trauma, cancers, allergies, toxins, vitamin/nutritional deficiencies/excesses, prolonged pressure, impaired blood circulation, ingrown hairs or nails, autoimmune conditions, aging, sun exposure, radiation exposure, exposure to heat/cold,  dryness, humidity, other  organ damage or condition, substance usage or contact, hereditary conditions, etc.
| risks           =
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}}

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]], [[Nail (anatomy)|nails]], and related [[muscle]] and [[glands]].<ref name="Lookingbill">{{cite book | vauthors = Miller JH, Marks JG |title=Lookingbill and Marks' Principles of Dermatology |publisher=Saunders |year=2006 |isbn=1-4160-3185-5 }}</ref> The major function of this system is as a barrier against the external environment.<ref name="pmid19221876">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lippens S, Hoste E, Vandenabeele P, Agostinis P, Declercq W | title = Cell death in the skin | journal = Apoptosis | volume = 14 | issue = 4 | pages = 549–569 | date = April 2009 | pmid = 19221876 | doi = 10.1007/s10495-009-0324-z | s2cid = 13058619 }}</ref>

Conditions of the human integumentary system constitute a broad spectrum of diseases, also known as dermatoses, as well as many nonpathologic states (like, in certain circumstances, [[melanonychia]] and [[racquet nails]]).<ref name="King">{{cite journal | vauthors = King LS |title=What Is Disease? |journal=Philosophy of Science |volume=21 |issue= 3|pages=193–203 |year=1954 |doi= 10.1086/287343|s2cid=120875348 }}</ref><ref name="Bluefarb">{{cite book | vauthors = Bluefarb SM |title=Dermatology |publisher=Upjohn Co |year=1984 |isbn=0-89501-004-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/dermatology00samu }}</ref> While only a small number of skin diseases account for most visits to the physician, thousands of skin conditions have been described.<ref name="Lynch" /> Classification of these conditions often presents many [[nosological]] challenges, since underlying causes and pathogenetics are often not known.<ref name="pmid2653160">{{cite journal | vauthors = Tilles G, Wallach D | title = [The history of nosology in dermatology] | language = fr | journal = Annales de Dermatologie et de Venereologie | volume = 116 | issue = 1 | pages = 9–26 | year = 1989 | pmid = 2653160 }}</ref><ref name="pmid7026622">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lambert WC, Everett MA | title = The nosology of parapsoriasis | journal = Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology | volume = 5 | issue = 4 | pages = 373–395 | date = October 1981 | pmid = 7026622 | doi = 10.1016/S0190-9622(81)70100-2 }}</ref> Therefore, most current textbooks present a classification based on location (for example, [[List of cutaneous conditions#Conditions of the mucous membranes|conditions of the mucous membrane]]), morphology ([[List of cutaneous conditions#Chronic blistering|chronic blistering conditions]]), cause ([[List of cutaneous conditions#Resulting from physical factors|skin conditions resulting from physical factors]]), and so on.<ref name="Jackson">{{cite journal | vauthors = Jackson R | title = Historical outline of attempts to classify skin diseases | journal = Canadian Medical Association Journal | volume = 116 | issue = 10 | pages = 1165–1168 | date = May 1977 | pmid = 324589 | pmc = 1879511 }}</ref><ref name="pmid7769599">{{cite journal | vauthors = Copeman PW | title = The creation of global dermatology | journal = Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine | volume = 88 | issue = 2 | pages = 78–84 | date = February 1995 | pmid = 7769599 | pmc = 1295100 }}</ref>

Clinically, the diagnosis of any particular skin condition begins by gathering pertinent information of the presenting skin lesion(s), including: location (e.g. arms, head, legs); symptoms ([[pruritus]], pain); duration (acute or chronic); arrangement (solitary, generalized, [[Wiktionary:annular|annular]], linear); morphology ([[Skin condition#Primary lesions|macules]], [[papule]]s, [[#Vesicle|vesicle]]s); and color (red, yellow, etc.).<ref name="FitzAtlas">{{cite book| vauthors = Wolff K, Johnson RA, Suurmond R |title=Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology |publisher=McGraw-Hill Medical Pub. Division |year=2005 |edition=5th|isbn =0-07-144019-4 }}</ref> Some diagnoses may also require a [[skin biopsy]] which yields [[histologic]] information<ref name="pmid19851671">{{cite journal | vauthors = Werner B | title = [Skin biopsy and its histopathologic analysis: Why? What for? How? Part I] | language = pt | journal = Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia | volume = 84 | issue = 4 | pages = 391–395 | date = August 2009 | pmid = 19851671 | doi = 10.1590/s0365-05962009000400010 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="pmid20098854">{{cite journal | vauthors = Werner B | title = [Skin biopsy with histopathologic analysis: why? what for? how? part II] | language = pt | journal = Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia | volume = 84 | issue = 5 | pages = 507–513 | date = October 2009 | pmid = 20098854 | doi = 10.1590/S0365-05962009000500010 | doi-access = free }}</ref> that can be correlated with the clinical presentation and any laboratory data.<ref name="isbn0-7817-7363-6">{{cite book | vauthors = Xu X, Elder DA, Elenitsas R, Johnson BL, Murphy GE |title=Lever's Histopathology of the Skin |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |location=Hagerstwon, MD |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7817-7363-8 }}</ref><ref name="isbn0-7020-3941-1">{{cite book |title=Weedon's Skin Pathology, 2-Volume Set: Expert Consult – Online and Print |publisher=Churchill Livingstone |location=Edinburgh |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7020-3941-6 }}</ref> The introduction of cutaneous [[ultrasound]] has allowed the detection of cutaneous tumors, inflammatory processes, and skin diseases.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Alfageme F, Cerezo E, Roustan G | author1-link= Fernando Alfageme |title=Real-Time Elastography in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Primer |journal=Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology |date=April 2015 |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=S82–S83 |doi=10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.12.341|doi-access=free }}</ref>