MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Vesicles

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Vesicles

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Considerations	Common Causes Home Care Call your health care provider if What to expect at your health care provider's office

Illustrations

Bullous pemphigoid, close-up of tense blisters

Chigger bite - close-up of blisters

Hand, foot, and mouth disease on the soles

Herpes simplex - close-up

Herpes zoster (shingles) - close-up of lesion

Poison ivy on the knee

Poison ivy on the leg

Vesicles

Alternative names Return to top

Blisters

Definition Return to top

A vesicle is a small fluid-filled blister ranging in size from a pinpoint to 5 or 10 millimeters in diameter. As a rule, the term vesicle is used to describe a small blister, while the term bulla is used to describe a larger blister.

Considerations Return to top

When diagnosing rashes, your physician must first determine what types of lesions appear within the eruption. Rashes may be formed from macules, patches, papules, plaques, nodules, pustules, bullae, or vesicles. Based upon the type of lesion within your rash, the history of your rash, and the location of your rash, your doctor will be able to arrive at possible causes.

In many cases, vesicles break easily and release their fluid onto the skin. When this fluid dries, yellow crusts may remain on the skin surface. Be sure to let your physician know if vesicles were present before you arrived at the office.

Common Causes Return to top

Many diseases may present with vesicles. Some common examples include:

Infections
- Chicken pox
- Herpes simplex (cold sores, genital herpes)
- Herpes zoster (shingles)
- Impetigo
Contact dermatitis
- Poison ivy
Inflammatory skin diseases
- Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
Drug reactions
Blistering skin diseases
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Dermatitis herpetiformis

Home Care Return to top

As a general rule, a physician should examine and diagnose any skin disease that includes vesicles.

Nevertheless, over the counter treatments are available for certain conditions. For example, poison ivy may be soothed with calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream. Cold sores might respond to application of local pain killers or docosanol.

Call your health care provider if Return to top

Call your physician if any unexplained blisters appear on your skin.

What to expect at your health care provider's office Return to top

Some vesicular eruptions can be diagnosed based entirely upon their history and appearance. In many cases, however, additional tests are needed. For example, the contents of a blister may be examined under the microscope or sent for bacterial or viral culture. In particularly difficult cases, a skin biopsy may be needed to make or confirm a diagnosis.

Update Date: 8/15/2003

Updated by: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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