Medical Terminology for Thumb Blister
The medical term for a blister on the thumb (or any location) is "bulla" (if larger than 1 cm) or "vesicle" (if smaller than 1 cm), both referring to fluid-filled elevations of the skin 1.
Specific Terminology Based on Blister Characteristics
Size-based classification:
- Vesicle: Fluid-filled elevation up to approximately 1 cm in diameter 1
- Bulla (plural: bullae): Fluid-filled elevation larger than approximately 1 cm in diameter 1
Location within skin layers:
- Subcorneal blister: Forms just beneath the stratum corneum (e.g., impetigo contagiosa) 1
- Intra-epidermal blister: Forms within the epidermis (e.g., pemphigus vulgaris, epidermolysis bullosa simplex) 1
- Subepidermal blister: Forms below the epidermis at the dermoepidermal junction (e.g., bullous pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica) 1
Content-based terminology:
Documentation Standards
When documenting a thumb blister in medical records, specify:
- Size in centimeters 3
- Exact anatomic location on the thumb 3
- Whether it appears tense or flaccid 3
- Whether it arises on erythematous, normal-appearing, or traumatized skin 3
- Condition of the blister roof (intact vs. ruptured) 3
- Associated symptoms such as pain or pruritus 3
Common clinical descriptor: "Fluid-filled elevation of the skin" is the standard descriptive phrase used in medical documentation 3.