Vesicles

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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

Blisters

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. 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 physician if any unexplained blisters appear on your skin.

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.

Review Date: 04/30/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.