Common Skin Conditions & Treatment Flashcards
7 cards from real CDT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Common Skin Conditions & Treatment flashcards as text
A patient presents with erythematous plaques with overlying fine scale in the scalp, nasolabial folds, and eyebrows. Which condition is most likely?
Answer: Seborrheic dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis characteristically involves sebaceous gland-rich areas such as the scalp, nasolabial folds, eyebrows, and central face.
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is most commonly used as treatment for which of the following?
Answer: Verruca vulgaris (common warts)
Cryotherapy destroys wart tissue by freeze-thaw cycling and is a common office-based treatment for verruca vulgaris caused by HPV.
Which finding is pathognomonic for dermatitis herpetiformis?
Answer: IgA deposits at the dermal-epidermal junction
Dermatitis herpetiformis is defined by granular IgA deposits at the dermal-epidermal junction on direct immunofluorescence, distinguishing it from other blistering disorders.
A patient with acne is prescribed a topical retinoid. What is the primary mechanism of action of topical retinoids in treating acne?
Answer: Normalizing follicular keratinization
Topical retinoids normalize follicular keratinization, preventing the formation of microcomedones, which are the precursor lesion for all acne.
Nikolsky's sign, where lateral pressure on intact skin causes blistering, is positive in which condition?
Answer: Pemphigus vulgaris
Nikolsky's sign is positive in pemphigus vulgaris because acantholysis (loss of cell-cell adhesion) makes the epidermis fragile and easily displaced by shearing force.
Which organism is most commonly responsible for folliculitis in immunocompetent patients?
Answer: Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of bacterial folliculitis in immunocompetent individuals, presenting as perifollicular pustules.
A patient with chronic plaque psoriasis is being considered for phototherapy. Which form of phototherapy is most commonly used as first-line in this setting?
Answer: Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) at 311 nm
Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) at 311 nm is the preferred first-line phototherapy for psoriasis due to its efficacy, favorable safety profile, and lack of need for psoralen.