Skin lesions can be a sign of HIV, skin cancer, or infections. They can appear anywhere on the body and can be harmless birthmarks or cancerous tumors. Treatments include medication, radiation, and surgery.
A skin lesion is a patch of skin that contrasts with the surrounding tissue due to differences in texture, thickness, and pigment. Derived from the Latin root cutis, meaning skin, these lesions are superficial and may be rough, smooth, skin-like, or raised. They are often characterized as a visual warning sign for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as they appear as one of its earliest symptoms. They are also often evidence of skin cancer and skin infections such as ringworm, rosacea and lichen planus. Skin lesions, however, can appear harmlessly on newborns as simple birthmarks.
There are specific types of skin lesions that are distinguished by their composition. Some lesions are made up of lipoproteins and are called “asteroid bodies”. Phosphate, iron and calcium carbonate make up another set of lesions called “Schaumann bodies”. The residual bodies are composed of lipomucoprotein granules.
The locations of these lesions can spread throughout the body, especially when they are the result of systemic diseases such as lupus. The face, scalp, back, and arms are typically where lesions form; they can occur in multiples or as a single lesion that grows and spreads. Some people suffer injuries to their feet and hands. The presence of lesions on the scalp can often lead to localized hair loss. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can cause lesions on the penis, although they are rare.
Cancer tumors can start as skin lesions and are often misdiagnosed as simple skin infections. Medical reports show that some patients who suspected their lesions were ringworm discovered they had lymphoma after the lesions were biopsied by doctors. Early treatment of malignant lesions can be successful and prevent the cancer from spreading to lymph nodes and throughout the body, doctors say.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma lesions are the type most commonly seen in HIV victims and patients with acquired immune deficiency disease (AIDS). Other HIV-related lesions are caused by herpes and tuberculosis. These can be treated with antiviral drugs.
Sarcoidosis, a disease that affects the lungs, eyes and lymph nodes, can manifest as skin lesions in as many as 20% of people with the disease. Often these purplish lesions are the only early effects of this disease which eventually spreads beyond the skin to body tissues. The nose and scalp are the most common areas to find sarcoidosis-related lesions.
Treatments for skin lesions include antibiotics, methotrexate, and griseofulvin taken by mouth. Radiation is an alternative option. Some injuries cannot be cured, but can be mitigated with topically applied steroid medications. Dermatologists might also employ retinoids and immunosuppressants to stop the lesions. Occasionally, the presence of a disfiguring lesion can be surgically removed; once the skin lesions are removed or healed, dimples or scars may be left behind.
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