Small solid rounded bumps rising from the skin that are each usually less than 1 centimeter in diameter (less than 3/8 inch across).

Papules may open when scratched and become crusty and infected.

The term “papule” is derived from Latin from “papula,” a pimple. Dermatologists (and other physicians) call any small solid circumscribed bump in the skin a papule, as opposed to a vesicle which contains fluid or a macule which is flat and even with the surrounding skin.