
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Tuberous sclerosis physical examination
Introduction
Physical Examination
Physical Examination
Skin
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Adenoma sebaceum.
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Tuberous sclerosis; Subungual fibroma; Beneath the Left Index Nail
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Tuberous sclerosis, Periungual Fibroma; Lateral Side of Left Great Toe Nail
Face
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Nails
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Trunk
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Oral cavity
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Tuberous sclerosis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Skin
The skin is examined under a Wood’s lamp. The most common skin abnormalities include:
- Facial angiofibromas
- Ungual or subungual fibromas
- Hypomelanic macules (“ash leaf spots”)
- Forehead plaques
- Shagreen patches
- Molluscum fibrosum or skin tags
- Cafe-au-lait spots or flat brown marks
- Poliosis
Head
Eyes
- Retinal lesions – astrocytic hamartomas, which may cause blindness.
- Non-retinal lesions associated with TSC include
- Coloboma
- Angiofibromas of the eyelids
- Papilledema (related to hydrocephalus)
Heart
- A heart murmur can be heard due to the obstruction of blood flow by rhabdomyomas.
Lungs
- Coarse rales are heard when lung parenchyma is involved.
- Bronchial breathing and bronchophony are heard on auscultation when multiple cysts occur in the lungs.
Extremities
- Rough growths under or around the fingernails and toenails
Neurologic
- Abnormal size of head in children – due to hydrocephalus
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kiran Singh, M.D. [2] José Eduardo Riceto Loyola Junior, M.D.[3]




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