A lesion is any area of damaged or abnormal tissue in an organism. This damage can result from injury, infection, or disease. Lesions can appear anywhere on or inside the body, including the skin, organs, blood vessels, and brain.
Types and Examples of Lesions
Lesions encompass a wide range of abnormalities:
- Wounds: Physical trauma resulting in broken skin.
- Ulcers: Open sores caused by tissue damage.
- Abscesses: Pus-filled pockets of infection.
- Sores: General term for an open wound or lesion.
- Cysts: Fluid-filled sacs.
- Tumors: Abnormal growths of tissue, which can be benign or malignant (cancerous).
- Brain lesions: Abnormalities detected on brain imaging scans like MRI, indicating damage or changes in brain tissue. These can have various causes and symptoms depending on their location and size. Mayo Clinic provides more information on brain lesions.
The term "lesion" is often used in medical contexts to describe an area requiring further investigation or treatment. For example, a "precancerous lesion" indicates abnormal tissue that may develop into cancer. Fox Chase Cancer Center discusses the meaning of precancerous lesions. The specific characteristics of a lesion, including its appearance and location, help medical professionals determine its cause and appropriate course of action.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides definitions for various medical terms, including lesion, in an easily understandable format. Merriam-Webster defines lesion simply as "injury, harm". Merriam-Webster
Furthermore, the term "lesion" is not solely limited to cancerous growths, but encompasses a wide variety of tissue damage, from minor injuries to significant organ damage. Specific instances such as "E-lesions" in Hodgkin lymphoma are being studied for their prognostic value. PubMed
