LESSON 4
TREAT COMMON SKIN DISORDERS
4-1.
GENERAL
a. As we all know, the skin covers the entire body, protecting the underlying
tissues from injury, infection, and dehydration. However, there are times when the skin
is affected by many common disorders causing some unsightly shapes and
arrangements on the surface of the skin. Your knowledge of recognition and
identification of common skin disorders will enable you to provide quality patient care.
b. A brief review of the layers of skin will help you throughout this lesson (see
figure 4-1). The skin is made up of the following three layers:
(1) Epidermis. The outer, thinner layer of skin. It has no blood vessels, but,
contains a limited distribution of nerve endings. The epidermis is made up of several
layers of cells. The outermost cells are flat and resemble scales. These dead cells are
constantly flaking off the surface, as this happens, inner epidermal cells are growing,
pushing up towards the surface to replace outer cells.
(2) Dermis or Corium. The inner layer of skin found beneath the epidermis.
It is rich in blood vessels and nerves.
(3)
Subcutaneous tissues. The layer of fat and soft tissues found below the
dermis.
Figure 4-1. Principal parts of the skin.
MD0550
4-2