DOI: 10.7241/ourd.20124.82                                                                     article in PDF
Our Dermatol Online. 2012; 3(4): 360-361
Date of submission: 14.06.2012 / acceptance: 09.06.2012
Conflicts of interest: None
 

MNEMONICS IN DERMATOPATHOLOGY

Khalid Al Aboud

Pathology Department, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Corresponding author: Dr. Khalid Al Aboud    e-mail: amoa65@hotmail.com

How to cite an article: Al Aboud K. Mnemonics in dermatopathology. Our Dermatol Online. 2012; 3(4): 359-360.

 

A mnemonic is any learning technique that aids information retention [1,2]. This technique of learning has been used in all the sciences including medicine. In dermatology, in particular, many mnemonics were made and used by many residents during their training periods and afterward [1]. As an evidence of its effectiveness dermatology textbooks, like Requisites in Dermatology: Dermatopathology incorporated these mnemonics. However many mnemonics are, not popular, not very inclusive, not important, complicated, long, not easy to remember or not user friendly; and hence such mnemonics are not used frequently. In Table I, I listed few mnemonics in dermatopathology, which I thought may be useful.
 
 

The mnemonics
 Remarks
HAAPPIED
(for conditions with eosinophilic spongiosis)
Herpes getationis
Arthropod bite
Allergic contact dermatitis
Pemphigus
Pemphigoid
Incontinentia pigmenti
Erythema toxicum (spongiosis adjacent to follicle)
Drug
LEMONS
(for the differential diagnoses of small round blue cell tumors) [3]
Lymphoma
Ewing sarcoma
Melanoma,
Olfactory / Other (esthesioneuroblastomas, rhabdomyosarcoma or
Markel cell carcinoma)
Neuroblastoma
Small cell carcinoma

„MR. LEMONS”, might refer to a similar thing;
Melanoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Lymphoma
Ewing’s sarcoma
Meduloblastoma
Olfactory
Neuroblastoma
Small cell (oat cell)
Life Can Get Complicated
(for the types of necrosis)
Liquifactive
Coagulation
Gangrene
Caseous
'Life’ used since necrosis is 'death’
3 M
(cytological changes of herpes
infection)
Multinucleation
Molding, nuclear
Margination of nuclear chromatin
PLAID
(for conditions with subepidermal split, and
neutrophils stuffed in dermal papillae)
Pemphigoid (bullous)
Lupus (bullous SLE)
Acquista (Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquista)
IgA, linear
Dermatitis herpetiformis
PTICS
(for conditions with neutrophils in the stratum corneum)		 Psoriasis
Tinea
Impetigo
Candida
Syphilis
Table I. Selected mnemonics in dermatopathology
 
REFERENCES
1. Al Aboud K, Al Hawsawi K, Ramesh V, Al Aboud D: Mnemonics in dermatology; an appraisal. Int J Dermatol. 2002;41:594-5.
2. Al Aboud D, Al Aboud K, Ramesh V: Mono-letter mnemonics in dermatology. Int J Dermatol. 2006;45:1444.
3. Walters DM, Little SC, Hessler RB, Gourin CG: Small cell carcinoma of the submandibular gland: a rare small round blue cell tumor. Am J Otolaryngol. 2007;28:118-21.

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