Mr. Martin's flu
 
Symptoms & History

Physical Findings

Stop & Think

Lab and X-Ray

Differential Diagnosis

The Disease

Treatment

Conclusions

Quiz & Evaluation

 What the heck is this skin lesion? Erythema migrans, or as it is sometimes called, Erythema chronica migrans
  • Erythema is pretty non-specific. It means red skin.
  • Migrans is telling us it is getting bigger. It's growing at its margins.
  • We already know it's macular (it is flat).
  • Other than being present, it doesn't seem to cause him much discomfort.
The lesion is red because the blood vessels in the skin are dilated in that particular region. 

The superficial blood vessels in that localized area of the skin are dilated because they are inflamed. There isn't any red pigment in the skin, the color change is a function of the basic vascular changes of inflammation.

So what could cause a localized vasculitis?            Back

  

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