Abcde

Trae (Bill) Balzano

Question #1

The “ABCDE” rule is a very simple and easy way to remember the proper things to check for when dealing with a possible case of melanoma. The A stands for asymmetry, check to see if one side of the lesion does not symmetrically match the other side. The B stands for border irregularity, meaning the edges are ragged and blurred. The C stands for color, meaning the pigmentation is not the same throughout. The D stands for diameter, meaning that you should take caution if it is greater than 6 mm. The E stands for evolving or elevation, meaning it could change in many noticeable ways such as color, shape, size, tenderness and could start bleeding.

Picture

There are two letters from the ABCDE rule that apply in Dean’s situation. Both D and E. Color does not apply because it was not specified that the pigmentation was different, just that they were dark. But the Diameter definitely applies if some of them have reached the size of large coins. Evolving applies because they were rapidly growing to their current size.

Dean’s face is now wrinkled because of the time he spent in the sun. The sunlight breaks down collagen in the dermis. Usually certain proteins reform the collagen fibers in the original way they were, but sometimes the certain proteins do not reform the collagen fibers and they break them down. This causes disorganized collagen fibers known as solar scars. As the skin repeats this imperfect process of over and over, then wrinkles eventually become very visible.

{draw:a}