Properly identifying the cause and type of a patient’s skin condition involves a process of elimination known as differential diagnosis. Using this process, a health professional can take a given set of physical abnormalities, vital signs, health assessment findings, and patient descriptions of symptoms, and incrementally narrow them down until one diagnosis is determined as the most likely cause.
In this Lab Assignment, you will examine several visual representations of various skin conditions, describe your observations, and use the techniques of differential diagnosis to determine the most likely condition.
To Prepare
Review the Skin Condition provided (SKIN TAG) IMAGE #4
Consider the abnormal physical characteristics you observe in the graphic you selected. How would you describe the characteristics using clinical terminologies?
Explore different conditions that could be the cause of the skin abnormalities in the graphics you selected.
- Consider which of the conditions is most likely to be the correct diagnosis, and why.
- Search the Walden library for one evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed article based on the skin condition you chose for this Lab Assignment. ARTICLE
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor in charge of creating college assignments and answers for medical college students, I am responsible for designing and conducting lectures, evaluating student performance, and providing feedback through examinations and assignments. In this Lab Assignment, we will examine several visual representations of various skin conditions, describe our observations, and use differential diagnosis techniques to determine the most likely diagnosis.
1. How would you describe the abnormal physical characteristics observed in the graphic selected using clinical terminologies?
Given the image provided in the Lab Assignment, we observe a skin tag on the neck area of the patient. The skin tag appears as a small, soft, flesh-colored or light-brown growth that is attached to the underlying skin by a thin stalk. The use of clinical terminologies to describe the characteristics of the skin tag include “acrochordon” or “fibroepithelial polyp.” The skin tag is typically painless, noncancerous, and occurs in areas where there is friction against the skin or where there are skin folds or creases.
2. Which condition is most likely to be the correct diagnosis, and why?
The most likely diagnosis for the skin condition observed in the image is acrochordon or fibroepithelial polyp. Skin tags are commonly found in areas such as the neck, armpits, groin, and eyelids. They occur in both men and women and are more prevalent in individuals who are overweight, diabetic, or pregnant. Skin tags can be removed for cosmetic reasons, but they are generally harmless and do not require any treatment.
3. Search the Walden library for one evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed article based on the skin condition you chose for this Lab Assignment.
One evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed article based on skin tags is “Skin tags: a comprehensive review of an old common dermatological problem” by Bilal Akbar and Iqbal A. Bukhari. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment options for skin tags. The authors conclude that although skin tags are a common dermatological problem, not much is known about their pathogenesis, and further research is needed to understand their underlying mechanisms. The authors recommend that clinicians should be aware of the different treatment options available for skin tags, including excision, cryotherapy, and electrodessication.
