| Papule | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fibrous papule of the nose | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Specialty | Dermatology[2] |
| Symptoms | Small, well-defined bump in skin[2] |
A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the skin.[2] It may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip.[2] It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look warty.[3] It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth.[2] Some have crusts or scales.[2] A papule can be flesh colored, yellow, white, brown, red, blue or purplish.[4] There may be just one or many, and they may occur irregularly in different parts of the body or appear in clusters.[2] It does not contain fluid but may progress to a pustule or vesicle.[2] A papule is smaller than a nodule; it can be as tiny as a pinhead and is typically less than 1 cm in width, according to some sources,[2][3] and 0.5 cm according to others.[4] When merged together, it appears as a plaque.[4]
A papule's colour might indicate its cause, such as white in milia, red in eczema, yellowish in xanthoma and black in melanoma.[2] They may open when scratched and become infected and crusty.[5]
- ^ "Papule definition and meaning - Collins English Dictionary".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j James, William D.; Elston, Dirk; Treat, James R.; Rosenbach, Misha A.; Neuhaus, Isaac (2020). "2. Cutaneous signs and diagnosis". Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (13th ed.). Elsevier. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-323-54753-6.
- ^ a b Oakley, Amanda. "Terminology in dermatology". dermnetnz.org. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Dinulos, James G. H. (2019). "1. Principles of diagnosis and anatomy". Habif's Clinical Dermatology (7th ed.). Elsevier. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-323-61269-2.
- ^ "papule" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary