Impetigo is diagnosed primarily by:

• A. Blood tests
• B. Imaging studies
• C. History and characteristic appearance of the lesion
• D. Urine analysis

Answer: (C)

Impetigo is diagnosed primarily by history and the characteristic appearance of the lesion. It’s a superficial bacterial skin infection that typically shows vesicles or pustules that rupture and form honey-colored crusts, commonly on the face or exposed areas in children. That clinical picture, along with the rapid onset and contagious nature, is usually enough to confirm the diagnosis, so blood tests or imaging aren’t needed in typical cases. Urine analysis isn’t relevant to diagnosing a skin infection. If the presentation is unusual or the infection doesn’t respond to standard treatment, a culture or Gram stain may be used to identify the organism and guide therapy, but it isn’t the primary method of diagnosis.