Chilblain is best described as:

• A. Itching swelling of the skin due to poor circulation when exposed to cold.
• B. A deep tissue frostbite of the hands.
• C. A bacterial skin infection.
• D. A sensation of warmth due to cold exposure.

Answer: (A)

Chilblains are inflammatory lesions from cold exposure that affect small skin vessels, causing itching and swelling on exposed areas after being in the cold and then warming up. The best description matches this pattern: itching, swelling of the skin due to cold exposure, reflecting a vascular, inflammatory response rather than actual freezing tissue damage.

Frostbite involves freezing of deeper tissues and leads to numbness, severe tissue injury, and possibly blisters—much more severe than chilblains. A bacterial skin infection would show signs of infection such as warmth, redness, pus, or systemic symptoms, not the characteristic cold-induced itch and swelling. A sensation of warmth due to cold exposure isn’t the defining feature of chilblains, which are about itchy, swollen skin from a cold-induced vascular reaction.