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Standard Definitions in Dermatology: The Need for Further Discussion
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I was pleased to read the comments and recommendations of Lewis et al1 on standard definitions used in dermatology. As they point out, the definitions of the International League of Dermatological Societies2 are inconsistent both among terms and between countries, and rightly have not been generally accepted. For example, in the English/American and German versions of the league's glossary, the size of a papule is defined as less than 0.5 cm, while in the French and Spanish versions it is defined as less than 1.0 cm. Clearly, this kind of inconsistency does not promote standardization.
A dialogue on definitions would be useful because some kind of consensus needs to be reached. Standardized terminology is obviously important when using computers3 or other aids for diagnosis and data entry. I would support the use of 1 cm as the cutoff between a macule and a patch, a papule and a nodule, a . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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