Question | Answer |
Generic term for an agent (usually a hormone, such as testosterone and androsterone) that stimulates development of male characteristics | androgen |
Very small duct | ductule |
Maintaining a stable internal environment | homeostasis |
Pouch of skin in the male that contains the testes | scrotum |
Formation of a complex substance by the union of simpler compounds or elements | synthesis |
To produce synthesis | synthesize |
adip/o | fat |
lip/o | fat |
steat/o | skin |
cutane/o | skin |
dermat/o | skin |
derm/o | skin |
hidr/o | sweat |
sudor/o | sweat |
ichthy/o | dry, scaly |
kerat/o | horny tissue; hard; cornea |
melan/o | black |
myc/o | fungus (plural, fungi) |
onych/o | nail |
ungu/o | nail |
pil/o | hair |
trich/o | hair |
scler/o | hardening; sclera (white of eye) |
seb/o | sebum, sebaceous |
squam/o | scale |
xen/o | foreign, strange |
xer/o | dry |
-cyte | cell |
-derma | skin |
-logist | specialist in the study of |
-logy | the study of |
-therapy | treatment |
an- | without, not |
dia- | through, across |
epi- | above, upon |
homo- | same |
hyper- | excessive, above normal |
sub- | under, below |
Localized collection of pus at the site of infection | abscess |
Inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin | acne |
Partial or complete loss of hair resulting from normal aging, an endocrine disorder, a drug reaction, anticancer medication, or a skin disease; commonly known as baldness | alopecia |
Form of intraepidermal carcinoma (squamous cell) red-brown scaly or crusted lesions that resemble a patch of psoriasis or dermatitis | Bowen disease |
Widespread, acute infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue | cellulitis |
Pigmantary skin discoloration usually occuring in yellowish brown patches or spots | chloasma |
Typical small skin lesion of acne vulgaris caused by accumulation of keratin, bacteria, and dried sebum plugging an excretory duct of the skin | comedo |
Infection of the skin caused by fungi | dermatomycosis |
Skin discoloration consisting of a large, irregularly formed hemorrhagic area with colors changing from blue-black to greenish-brown or yellow; commonly called a bruise | ecchymosis |
Chronic skin inflammation characterized by erythema, papules, vesicles, pustules, scales, crusts, scabs, and possibly, itching | eczema |
Redness of the skin caused by swelling of the capillaries | erythema |
Damaged tissue following a severe burn | eschar |
Bacterial skin infection characterized by isolated pustules that become crusted and rupture | impetigo |
Thickened area of the epidermis or any horny growth on the skin (such as a callus or wart) | keratosis |
Small brown macules, especially on the face and arms, brought on by sun exposure | lentigo |
Unnatural paleness of absence of color in the skin | pallor |
Infestation with lice, transmitted by personal contact or common use of brushes, combs, or headgear | pediculosis |
Minute, pinpoint hemorrhage under the skin | petecchia |
Skin ulceration caused by prolonged pressure from lying in one position that prevents blood flow to the tissues - bedsores | pressure ulcer |
Intense itching | pruritis |
Chronic skin disease characterized by circumscribed red patches covered by thick, dry, silvery, adherent scales caused by excessive development of the basal layer of the epidermis | psoriasis |
Bleeding disorder characterized by hemorrhage into the tissues, particularly beneath the skin or mucous membranes, producing ecchymosis or petechiae | purpura |
Contagious skin disease transmitted by the itch mite, commonly through sexual contact | scabies |
Fungal skin infection whose name commonly indicates the body part affected (ringworm) | tinea |
Allergic reaction of the skin characterized by the eruption of pale red, elevated patches called wheals or hives | urticaria |
Epidermal growth caused by a virus; also known as warts | verruca |
Localized loss of skin pigmentation characterized by milk-white patches | vitiligo |
Any test in which a suspected allergen or sensitizer is applied to or injected into the skin to determine the patient's sensitivity to it | skin test (ST) |
injecting | intradermal |
topical application | patch |
small quantity of the suspected allergen on a lightly scratched area of the skin | scratch (prick) |
Representative tissue sample removed from a body site for microscopic examination | biopsy |
hollow needle w/syringe - small tissue sample | needle biopsy |
hollow punch - small core of tissue | punch biopsy |
surgical blade used to remove elevated lesions | shave biopsy |
Ultrathin slice from a frozen specimen for immediate pathological examination | frozen section (FS) |
Chemical removal of the outer layers of skin to treat acne scarring and general keratoses; also called chemabrasion | chemical peel |
Removal of necrotized tissue from a wound by surgical excision, enzymes, or chemical agents | debridement |
Rubbing (abrasion) using wire brushes or sandpaper to mechanically scrape away (abrade) the epidermis (to remove acne scars, tatoos and scar tissue) | dermabrasion |
Tissue destruction by means of high-frequency electric current; also called electrodesiccation (to destroy tissues, lesions) | fulguration |
Use of subfreezing temperature (commonly liquid nitrogen) to destroy or eleminate abnormal tissue, such as tumors, warts, and unwanted, cancerous tissue | cryosurgery |
Process of cutting through a lesion such as an abscess and draining its contents | incision and drainage (I&D) |
Surgical procedure to transplant healthy tissue by applying it to an injured site | skin graft |
Transplantation of healthy tissue from one person to another person; also called homograft (cadaver) | allograft |
Transplantation of healthy tissue from one site to another site in the same individual | autograft |
Transplantation of artificial skin produced from collagen fibers arranged in a lattice pattern | synthetic graft |
Transplantation (dermis only) from a foreign donor (usually a pig) and transferred to a human (heterograft) | xenograft |
Drug that alters the cell wall of fungi or disrupt enzyme activity, resulting in cell death | antifungals |
Inhibit allergic reactions of inflammation, redness, and itching caused by the release of histamine | antihistamines |
Topically applied agents that inhibit growth of bacteria,, thus preventing infections in cuts, scratches, and surgical incisions | antiseptics |
Decrease inflammation and itching by suppressing the immune system's inflammatory response to tissue damage | corticosteroids |
Destroy and soften the outer layer of skin so that it is sloughed off or shed | keratolytics |
Kill insect parasites, such as mites and lice | parasiticides |
Cover, cool, dry, or soothe inflamed skin | protectives |
Block sensation of pain by numbing the skin layers and mucous membranes | topical anesthetics |
Bx | biopsy |
BCC | basal cell carcinoma |
CA | cancer; chronological age; cardiac arrest |
cm | centimeter |
decub | decubitus (ulcer) |
derm | dermatology |
FS | frozen section |
ID | intradermal |
I&D | incision and drainage |
IMP | impression (synonymous with diagnosis) |
IV | intravenous |
subcu, Sub-Q, subQ | subcutaneous (injection) |
ung | ointment |
XP, XDP | xeroderma pigmentosum |