Classification of Cutaneous Lesions

Abstract

The adjective “cutaneous” hereby refers to the skin and external mucosae, to its adnexa, and to the subcutaneous panniculus. Cutaneous lesions are those that involve the mentioned elements, although they may also comprise cartilage, salivary glands, synovial remnants, and even other elements which may appear incidentally on the external surface of the body. The classification of these lesions would be highly desirable in order to approach the study of dermatopathology in a rational way. However, given the frequently poorly defined histopathologic character of the cutaneous lesion, their often mixed and overlapping features, and, furthermore, the continuous change of the lesions throughout their evolution, that classification may turn out to be a difficult task.