Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mechanical and Thermal Skin Injury

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Atlas of Dermatology, Dermatopathology and Venereology

  • 171 Accesses

Abstract

Damage to the skin can result from exposure to a variety of physical agents in the external environment, including mechanical and thermal injuries, ionizing radiation, electricity, electromagnetic radiation, and light in all its forms such as visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and lasers. These physical agents can cause skin injury by direct effects or after production of toxic metabolites or products. The susceptibility of the skin depends upon the duration and level of exposure, area of skin exposed, and competency of natural skin defense mechanisms. Besides the injury of exposed skin, some physical agents can induce a biological stress response in cells that are not directly exposed, a phenomenon known as cellular bystander effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allden K, Baykal T, Iacopino V, Kirschner R, Özkalipci Ö, Peel M (2001) Istanbul protocol: manual on the effective investigation and documentation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. United Nations. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourne MH, Piepkorn MW, Clayton F, Leonard LG (1986) Analysis of microvascular changes in frostbite injury. J Surg Res 40(1):26–35

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Camargo CM, Brotas AM, Ramos-e-Silva M, Carneiro S (2013) Isomorphic phenomenon of Koebner: facts and controversies. Clin Dermatol 31(6):741–749

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cappel JA, Wetter DA (2014) Clinical characteristics, etiologic associations, laboratory findings, treatment, and proposal of diagnostic criteria of pernio (chilblains) in a series of 104 patients at Mayo Clinic, 2000 to 2011. Mayo Clin Proc 89(2):207–215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danielsen L, Rasmussen OV (2006) Dermatological findings after alleged torture. Torture 16(2):108–127

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeLauro TM, DeLauro NM (2012) Corns and calluses. In: Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, Wolff K (eds) Fitzpatrick’s dermatology in general medicine, 8th edn. McGraw-Hill Professional, New York, pp 1111–1114

    Google Scholar 

  • Deshpande NS, Sen A, Vasudevan B, Neema S (2017) Acanthoma fissuratum: lest we forget. Indian Dermatol Online J 8(2):141–143

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dreno B, Bettoli V, Perez M, Bouloc A, Ochsendorf F (2015) Cutaneous lesions caused by mechanical injury. Eur J Dermatol 25(2):114–121

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edsberg LE (2007) Pressure ulcer tissue histology: an appraisal of current knowledge. Ostomy Wound Manage 53(10):40–49

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Edsberg LE, Black JM, Goldberg M, McNichol L, Moore L, Sieggreen M (2016) Revised National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel pressure injury staging system: revised pressure injury staging system. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 43(6):585–597

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ermertcan AT, Ertan P (2010) Skin manifestations of child abuse. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 76(4):317–326

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman DB (2002) Corns and calluses resulting from mechanical hyperkeratosis. Am Fam Physician 65(11):2277–2280

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta LK, Khare AK, Pargi S, Mittal A (2014) Suction purpura. Indian Dermatol Online J 5(2):231

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Heil KM, Oakley EH, Wood AM (2016) British Military freezing cold injuries: a 13-year review. J R Army Med Corps 162(6):413–418

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hettiaratchy S, Dziewulski P (2004) ABC of burns: pathophysiology and types of burns. BMJ 328(7453):1427–1429

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Imray C, Grieve A, Dhillon S, Caudwell Xtreme Everest Research Group (2009) Cold damage to the extremities: frostbite and non-freezing cold injuries. Postgrad Med J 85(1007):481–488

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jalian HR, Jalian CA, Avram MM (2013) Common causes of injury and legal action in laser surgery. JAMA Dermatol 49(2):188–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordaan HF (2007) The diagnosis and management of perniosis (chilblains). S Afr Fam Pract 49(6):28–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karadag AS, Bilgili SG, Guner S, Yilmaz D (2013) A cases series of Piezogenic pedal papules. Indian Dermatol Online J 4(4):369–371

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kiryu H, Rikihisa W, Furue M (2000) Encapsulated fat necrosis – a clinicopathological study of 8 cases and a literature review. J Cutan Pathol 27(1):19–23

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knapik JJ (2014) Prevention of foot blisters. J Spec Oper Med 14(2):95–97

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krafts KP (2010) Tissue repair: the hidden drama. Organogenesis 6(4):225–233

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Krishna Reddy SV, Shaik AB, Sreenivas K (2014) Penile injuries: a 10-year experience. Can Urol Assoc J 8(9–10):E626–E631

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leaper DJ (2006) Traumatic and surgical wounds. BMJ 332(7540):532–535

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leon A, Levin EC, Koo JY (2013) Psychodermatology: an overview. Semin Cutan Med Surg 32(2):64–67

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindford A, Valtonen J, Hult M, Kavola H, Lappalainen K, Lassila R, Aho P, Vuola J (2017) The evolution of the Helsinki frostbite management protocol. Burns 43(7):1455–1463

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe DT (2017) Cupping therapy: an analysis of the effects of suction on skin and the possible influence on human health. Complement Ther Clin Pract 29:162–168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marie I (2018) Erythema ab igne. Arthritis Rheum 70(11):1896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marzella L, Jesudass RR, Manson PN, Myers RA, Bulkley GB (1989) Morphologic characterization of acute injury to vascular endothelium of skin after frostbite. Plast Reconstr Surg 83(1):67–76

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller K, Hunt R, Chu J, Meehan S, Stein J (2011) Erythema ab igne. Dermatol Online J 17(10):28

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minamoto K, Nagano M, Inaoka T, Kitano T, Ushijima K, Fukuda Y, Futatsuka M (2002) Skin problems among fiber-glass reinforced plastics factory workers in Japan. Ind Health 40(1):42–50

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nikam B, Kaur H, Jamale V, Kale M (2016) Pedal poppers: soles to hold. Indian J Dermatol 61(2):227–228

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira A, Morais P, Cunha AP, Azevedo F (2011) Systemic allergic contact dermatitis to fiberglass in a factory worker of wind turbine blades. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 30(3):228–230

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perovic SV, Djinovic RP, Bumbasirevic MZ, Santucci RA, Djordjevic ML, Kourbatov D (2009) Severe penile injuries: a problem of severity and reconstruction. BJU Int 104(5):676–687

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prakash S, Weisman MH (2009) Idiopathic chilblains. Am J Med 122(12):1152–1155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quesada-Cortés A, Campos-Muñoz L, Díaz-Díaz RM, Casado-Jiménez M (2008) Cold panniculitis. Dermatol Clin 26(4):485–489

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg AS (2017) Reconsidering the H&E stain as the gold standard in assessing the depth of burn wounds. J Cutan Pathol 44(12):1049–1050

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowan MP, Cancio LC, Elster EA, Burmeister DM, Rose LF, Natesan S, Chan RK, Christy RJ, Chung KK (2015) Burn wound healing and treatment: review and advancements. Crit Care 19:243

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs C, Lehnhardt M, Daigeler A, Goertz O (2015) The triaging and treatment of cold-induced injuries. Dtsch Arztebl Int 112(44):741–747

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Seshadri D, Kumaran MS, Kanwar AJ (2013) Acantholysis revisited: back to basics. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 79(1):120–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamborrini G, Gengenbacher M, Bianchi S (2012) Knuckle pads – a rare finding. J Ultrason 12(51):493–498

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thappa DM (2004) The isomorphic phenomenon of Koebner. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 70(3):187–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uzun S, Durdu M (2006) The specificity and sensitivity of Nikolskiy sign in the diagnosis of pemphigus. J Am Acad Dermatol 54(3):411–415

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Witkowski JA, Parish LC (1982) Histopathology of the decubitus ulcer. J Am Acad Dermatol 6(6):1014–1021

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wynn TA, Ramalingam TR (2012) Mechanisms of fibrosis: therapeutic translation for fibrotic disease. Nat Med 18(7):1028–1040

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yang AY, Schwartz L, Divers AK, Sternberg L, Lee JB (2013) Equestrian chilblain: another outdoor recreational hazard. J Cutan Pathol 40(5):485–490

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zöllner AM, Buganza Tepole A, Gosain AK, Kuhl E (2012) Growing skin: tissue expansion in pediatric forehead reconstruction. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 11(6):855–867

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Katerina Damevska

  2. Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical Faculty, University of Medicine, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Snejina Vassileva & Kossara Drenovska

  3. Gerontology Institute “13 Noemvri”, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Lence Neloska

  4. University Clinic for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Igor Peev

Authors
  1. Katerina Damevska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Snejina Vassileva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lence Neloska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Igor Peev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kossara Drenovska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katerina Damevska .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Univ of Rochester School of Med, Rochester, NY, USA

    Bruce Smoller

  2. Khorramshahr, Iran

    Nooshin Bagherani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Damevska, K., Vassileva, S., Neloska, L., Peev, I., Drenovska, K. (2020). Mechanical and Thermal Skin Injury. In: Smoller, B., Bagherani, N. (eds) Atlas of Dermatology, Dermatopathology and Venereology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45134-3_64-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45134-3_64-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-45134-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-45134-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation