Skin lesions

A skin lesion refers to any skin area that has different characteristics from the surrounding skin, including color, shape, size, and texture. Skin lesions are very common and often appear as a result of a localized damage to the skin, like sunburns or contact dermatitis. Others, however, can be manifestations of underlying disorders, such as infections, diabetes, and autoimmune or genetic disorders. 

Although most skin lesions are benign and harmless, some of them can be malignant or premalignant, meaning they have the potential to evolve into skin cancer. 

Primary Lesions

Primary skin lesions are either present from birth or develop over your lifetime. They are associated with a specific cause or can be a reaction to either internal or external environments. They tend to be divided into three types of groups:

• Skin lesions formed by fluid within the skin layers, such as vesicles or pustules.
• Skin lesions that are solid, palpable masses, such as patches, papules or tumors (nodules, warts...).
• Flat, non-palpable skin lesions are called macula.