What it means
A type of skin lesionLEE-zhunAn area of tissue that has been damaged or has changed from normal, such as a sore, wound, lump or spot.Full entry . Vesicles are seen in chickenpox (varicellavair-ih-SEL-uhA very contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus; also called chickenpox.Full entry ), shingles, herpes, contact dermatitis and burns. A larger fluid-filled blister, 1 cm or more, is called a bulla. In anatomy, a vesicle is also any small sac in the body or in a cell.
For the nurse
Do not break vesicles; describe their size, number, pattern and location. Clients with vesicles from varicella or widespread shingles need airborne and contact precautions.
At a glance
| Spanish | vesícula |
|---|---|
| Also written | vesicles, vesicular |
Easy to confuse with
vesical
Relating to the urinary bladder.