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NURS550: Advanced Health Assessment and
Diagnostic Reasoning - Module 3 Guided
Reading Questions with Detailed Verified
Answers
Review of Systems Questions Ans: Inquire about skin, hair, and nails
health status.
Melanoma Risk Factors Ans: Include personal/family history, common
moles, atypical moles, UV exposure, and more.
ABCDE's of Melanoma Ans: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color
variation, Diameter, Evolving characteristics.
Types of Skin Cancer Ans: Include melanoma, basal cell carcinoma,
squamous cell carcinoma.
Identifying Skin Cancer Ans: Observe for changes in moles, sores that
don't heal, and skin discoloration.
Melanoma Ans: Responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths each
year
Changing mole Ans: History of changing mole or other area of
hyperpigmentation
Moles Ans: Dark, pale, consist of colors, or white patch with irregular
vessels
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Basal cell carcinoma Ans: Most common; non-healing sore on face, ear,
or other exposed area
Waxy appearance Ans: Typically waxy/pearly appearance with central
indentation
Soft and prone to bleeding Ans: Soft and very prone to bleeding
Telangiectasia Ans: Surface often reveals telangiectasia
Squamous cell carcinoma Ans: Second in prevalence; non-healing
lesion that is scaly and usually growing, tender
Actinic keratosis Ans: Frequent history of actinic keratosis that
progressed
0.5-1.5cm Ans: Size is usually 0.5-1.5cm
Physical examination of the skin Ans: Inspect hair, scalp, head, neck,
upper back, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, abdomen, anterior thighs,
legs, feet, toes, lower back, posterior thighs, legs, breasts, axillae,
genital
Macule Ans: Circumscribed flat area of change in color of skin <1cm
Patch Ans: Circumscribed flat area of change in color of the skin >1cm
Papule Ans: Small solid elevation of the skin <1cm
Nodule Ans: Solid elevation of the skin >1cm that usually extends into
the deeper skin layers
Wheal Ans: Circumscribed, raised lesion consisting of dermal edema;
typically last <24 hours
Plaque Ans: Large flatter elevation of the skin, sometimes formed by
papules coalescing
NURS550: Advanced Health Assessment and
Diagnostic Reasoning - Module 3 Guided
Reading Questions with Detailed Verified
Answers
Review of Systems Questions Ans: Inquire about skin, hair, and nails
health status.
Melanoma Risk Factors Ans: Include personal/family history, common
moles, atypical moles, UV exposure, and more.
ABCDE's of Melanoma Ans: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color
variation, Diameter, Evolving characteristics.
Types of Skin Cancer Ans: Include melanoma, basal cell carcinoma,
squamous cell carcinoma.
Identifying Skin Cancer Ans: Observe for changes in moles, sores that
don't heal, and skin discoloration.
Melanoma Ans: Responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths each
year
Changing mole Ans: History of changing mole or other area of
hyperpigmentation
Moles Ans: Dark, pale, consist of colors, or white patch with irregular
vessels
, Page | 2
Basal cell carcinoma Ans: Most common; non-healing sore on face, ear,
or other exposed area
Waxy appearance Ans: Typically waxy/pearly appearance with central
indentation
Soft and prone to bleeding Ans: Soft and very prone to bleeding
Telangiectasia Ans: Surface often reveals telangiectasia
Squamous cell carcinoma Ans: Second in prevalence; non-healing
lesion that is scaly and usually growing, tender
Actinic keratosis Ans: Frequent history of actinic keratosis that
progressed
0.5-1.5cm Ans: Size is usually 0.5-1.5cm
Physical examination of the skin Ans: Inspect hair, scalp, head, neck,
upper back, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, abdomen, anterior thighs,
legs, feet, toes, lower back, posterior thighs, legs, breasts, axillae,
genital
Macule Ans: Circumscribed flat area of change in color of skin <1cm
Patch Ans: Circumscribed flat area of change in color of the skin >1cm
Papule Ans: Small solid elevation of the skin <1cm
Nodule Ans: Solid elevation of the skin >1cm that usually extends into
the deeper skin layers
Wheal Ans: Circumscribed, raised lesion consisting of dermal edema;
typically last <24 hours
Plaque Ans: Large flatter elevation of the skin, sometimes formed by
papules coalescing
