Lesion

A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism (in layman's terms, "damage"), usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.

Types

Because the definition of a lesion is so broad, the varieties of lesions are virtually endless. Lesions can occur anywhere in the body that consists of soft tissue or matter, though most frequently found in the mouth, skin, and the brain. They are subsequently classified by their features. If a lesion is caused by a tumor it will be classified as malignant or benign. Lesions may be classified by the shape they form, as is the case with many ulcers, which can have a bullseye or 'target' appearance. Their size may be specified as gross or histologic depending on whether they are visible to the unaided eye or require a microscope to see.

An additional classification that is sometimes used is based on whether or not a lesion occupies space. A space-occupying lesion, as the name suggests, has a recognizable volume and may impinge on nearby structures, whereas a non space-occupying lesion is simply a hole in the tissue, e.g. a small area of the brain that has turned to fluid following a stroke.

Some lesions have specialized names, such as Ghon lesions in the lungs of tuberculosis victims. The characteristic skin lesions of a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection are called chickenpox. Lesions of the teeth are usually called dental caries.

Finally, lesions are often classified by their location. For example, a 'skin lesion' or a 'brain lesion'.

Causes

Lesions are caused by any process that damages tissues. Lesions can also be caused by metabolic processes, like an ulcer or autoimmune activity, as in the case with many forms of arthritis.

Lesions are sometimes intentionally inflicted during neurosurgery, such as the carefully placed brain lesion used to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders. (See Ablative brain surgery.)

Note that lesions are not limited to animals or humans; damaged plants are said to have lesions.

See also

• Skin lesion
• Ablation

External links

• Brain Lesion Locator Differential Diagnosis of Brain Lesions