A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

. It may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip. It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look

wart Warts are typically small, rough, hard growths that are similar in color to the rest of the skin. They typically do not result in other symptoms, except when on the bottom of the feet, where they may be painful. While they usually occur on the ...

y. It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth. Some have crusts or

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

. A papule can be flesh colored, yellow, white, brown, red, blue or purplish. There may be just one or many, and they may occur irregularly in different parts of the body or appear in clusters. It does not contain fluid but may progress to a pustule or

vesicle Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry) In cell biology, a vesicle is a structure within or outside a cell, consisting of liquid or cytoplasm enclosed by a lipid bilayer. Vesicles form nat ...

. A papule is smaller than a nodule; it can be as tiny as a pinhead and is typically less than 1 cm in width, according to some sources, and 0.5 cm according to others. When merged together, it appears as a plaque. Its color might indicate its cause, such as white in

milia A milium (''plural'' milia), also called a milk spot or an oil seed, is a clog of the eccrine sweat gland. It is a keratin-filled cyst that can appear just under the epidermis or on the roof of the mouth.Freedberg, et al. (2003). ''Fitzpatrick's ...

, red in

eczema Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved c ...

yellowish Varieties of the color yellow may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation, intensity, or colorfulness) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shad ...

in xanthoma and black in

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

. They may open when scratched and become infected and crusty.

Definition

A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the

. It is smaller than a nodule; it can be as tiny as a pinhead and is typically less than 1 cm in width, according to some sources, and 0.5 cm according to others.

Evaluation

A papule may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip. It can be polygonal but is never rectangular or square. It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look

y. Ulceration, oozing, bleeding or thin blood vessels may be present in a papule. It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth. Some have crusts or

. A papule can be flesh colored, yellow, white, brown, black, blue or purplish, or varying shades of red. The intensity of redness might indicate how long the papule has been present. There may be just one or many, and they may occur irregularly in different parts of the body or appear in clusters. It may progress to a pustule or vesicle.

Differential diagnosis

Angiofibromas are papules, types of which include the usually solitary fibrous papule of the nose and periungual angiofibroma, and multiple in pearly penile papules, and the facial angiofibromas as may be seen in

tuberous sclerosis Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare multisystem autosomal dominant genetic disease that causes non-cancerous tumours to grow in the brain and on other vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, liver, eyes, lungs and skin. A combination ...

. Papules with scale on the palms and soles may occur in secondary syphilis,

psoriasis Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to comple ...

, tinea manuum,

mycosis fungoides Mycosis fungoides, also known as Alibert-Bazin syndrome or granuloma fungoides, is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It generally affects the skin, but may progress internally over time. Symptoms include rash, tumors, skin lesions ...

. In lichen planus papules may be itchy, flat-topped, polygonal, purplish with white streaks, and can be solitary, or occur in clusters or in a line.

References

{{Clinical and histological nomenclature for skin lesions Dermatologic terminology

Definition

Evaluation

Differential diagnosis

See also

References