During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Scabs. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
Why: Scabs may form over many types of lesions including blisters (clear fluid filled lesions), pustules (pus-filled lesions), bleeding wounds or any lesion that is itchy and has been scratched.
Why: can help determine cause of scabs e.g. shingles are often on the central trunk; atopic dermatitis often on face and in flexures (such as behind knee); herpes simplex usually on mouth or genitals; chicken pox usually on face, scalp and trunk.
Why: may suggest chicken pox, herpes simplex, Erythema multiforma, Steven's-Johnson syndrome, pemphigoid, pemphigus.
Why: e.g. sunburn, direct cold exposure, direct burn to skin, friction burn to skin (e.g. foot blisters from tight shoes), chemical burn to skin.
Why: may cause lesions that may later form scabs.
Why: may suggest chicken pox, hand foot and mouth disease, herpes simplex, shingles.
Why: may suggest chicken pox, herpes simples, scabies, impetigo, shingles (rarely contagious).
Why: may suggest an allergy source for atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Why: e.g. asthma, hay fever - may suggest tendency towards atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Why: Dermatitis herpetiformis is associated with Celiac disease; Erythema multiforme is associated with Herpes simplex virus, mycoplasma pneumonia, tuberculosis, streptococcus infections, lupus erythematosus, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma; presence of other allergic type conditions such as asthma, hives and hay fever increase the risk of atopic dermatitis.
Why: some medications may cause drug eruptions that include blister-like lesions which may later form a scab e.g.sulphonamides, penicillamine, frusemide, barbiturates.
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:
Why: may suggest chicken pox, scabies, impetigo, dermatitis herpetiformis, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis (eczema), herpes simplex, insect bites, tinea or psoriasis.
Why: e.g. In shingles the rash is preceded by several days of skin pain with hypersensitivity; Erythema multiforme lesions may be painful, especially those in and around the mouth.
Why: may suggest chicken pox, eczema herpeticum, exfoliative dermatitis, severe allergic contact dermatitis from poison ivy, shingles, hand foot and mouth disease, first episode of herpes simplex.
Why: may suggest psoriasis or tinea.
Why: e.g. itchy, red, dry, scaling, cracked skin. The typical distribution changes as the person grows older. In infants the rash is usually on the cheeks of the face, the folds of the neck and scalp. It may then spread to the limbs and groin. During childhood a drier ad thicker rash develops in front of the elbow, behind the knees and on the hands and feet, which may be dry, itchy, cracked and painful. Rarely does eczema have an adult onset.
Why: e.g. may range from faint redness to severe swelling, symptoms are often worse in area around the eyes, genitals and on hairy skin, symptoms are least on hairless skin such as palms and soles. Allergic contact dermatitis is usually confined to the site of exposure to the allergenSymptoms of psoriasis? - e.g. red lesions that enlarge and develop a silvery scale. The commonest sites are the backs of the elbows and knees, then the scalp, sacral areas, genital and nails.
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