Term | Definition |
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | A chronic disease commonly marked by a rash on the face and other areas exposed to sunlight, involves vascular and connective tissue degeneration. resulting in multiple local and systemic manifestations |
bulla | a vesicle or blister larger than 1cm in diameter |
lchthyosis | abnormal condition of dryness or scales |
trichomycosis | abnormal condition of hair fungus |
onychocryptosis | abnormal condition of hidden nail |
amastia | absence of breast |
urticaria | allergic reaction of the skin characterized by eruption of pale red, elevated patches called wheals or hives |
antifungals | alter the cell wall of fungi or disrupt enzyme activity, resulting in cell death |
dermatone | an instrument to cut skin |
ulcer | an open sore or lesion that extends to the dermis and usually heals with scarring |
neroplasm | any new and abnormal growth |
purpura | any several bleeding disorders characterized by hemorrhage into the tissues, particularly beneath the skin or mucous membranes, producing ecchymoses or petechiae |
allergy skin test | 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 |
impetigo | bacterial skin infection characterized by isolated pustules that become crusted and rupture |
hemangioma | benign tumour of dilated blood vessels |
melanoma | black tumour |
topical anesthetics | block sensation of pain by numbing the skin layers and mucous membranes |
malignant | cancerous |
chemical peel | chemical removal of the outer layers of skins to treat once scarring and general keratitis; also called chemabrasion |
eczema | chronic inflammatory skin condition that is characterized by erythema, papillose, vesicles, pustules, scales, crusts, and scabs accompanied by intense itching. |
psoriasis | chronic skin disease characterized by circumscribed |
albinism | congenital non pathological partial or total absence of pigment in skin, hair, and eyes |
scabies | contagious skin disease transmitted by the itch mite, commonly through sexual contact |
protectives | cover, cool, dry, or soothe inflamed skin |
integument | covering |
eschar | dead matter that is sloughed off from the surface of the skin, especially after a burn |
corticosteroids | decrease inflammation and itching by suppressing the immune system's inflammatory response to tissue damage |
keratolytics | destroy and soften the outer layer of skin so that is is sloughed off or shed |
cellulitis | diffuse (widespread) acute infection the skin and subcutaneous tissue |
peau d' orange | dimpled skin resembling an orange peel |
vesicle | elevated, circumscribed, fluid-filled lesion less than 0.5 cm in diameter |
wheal | elevated, firm, rounded lesion with localized skin edema (swelling) that varies in size, shape, and colour in the centre than its surrounding edges; accompanied by itching |
verruca | epidermal growth caused by a virus; also known as warts. Types include plantar warts, juvenile warts, and venereal warts |
hyperesthesia | extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli, especially pain or touch |
macule | flat, pigmented, circumscribed area less than 1cm in diameter |
bowen disease | form of inraepidermal carinoma characterized by red-brown scaly or crusted lesions that resemble a patch of psoriasis or dermatitis; also called Bowen prescancerous dermatosis |
synthesize | forming a complex substances by the union of simpler compounds of elements |
tinea | fungal skin infection whose name commonly indicates the body part affected; also called ringworm |
androgen | generic term for an agent (usually hormone, such as testosterone and androsterone) that stimulates development of male characterisitics |
adenopathy | gland disease |
scleroderma | hard skin |
dermatomycosis | infection of the skin, caused by fungi |
pediculosis | infestation with lice, transmitted by personal contact or common use of brushes, combs, or headgear |
hidradenitis | inflammation of sweat gland |
onychia | inflammation of the nail bed, frequently with loss of the nail |
thelitis | inflammation of the nipple |
dermatitis | inflammation of the skin |
pressure ulcer | inflammation, sore, or skin deterioration caused by prolonged pressure from lying in one position that prevents blood flow to the tissue |
acne | inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin with characteristics lesions that includes blackheads, inflammatory papillose, pustules, nodules and cysts |
antihistomines | inhibit allergic reactions of inflammation, redness and itching caused by the release of histamine |
pruritus | intense itching |
laceration | irregular tear in the flesh |
antiparasitics | kills insect parasites, such as mites and lice |
culture & sensitivity | laboratory test that grows a colony of bacteria removed from an infected area (such as an ulcer would, or pus from an infection) in order to identify the specific infecting bacterium and them determine its sensitivity to antibiotic drugs |
dermis | layer of skin under the epidermis, which contains living tissue, nerve endings, capillaries, and lymphatics |
motis | layers of cancer- containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains |
excoriations | linear scratch marks or traumatized abrasions of the epidermis |
abscess | localized collection of pus at the sight of an infection (characteristically a staphylococcal infection) |
vitiligo | localized loss of skin pigmentation characterized by milk-white patches |
petechia | minute, pinpoint hemorrhage under the skin |
gangerene | necrosis or death of tissue |
benign | non-cancerous |
cicatrix | normal scarring |
congenital | noted at birth |
epidermis | outermost layer of skin with no blood or nerve supply |
nodule | palpable circumscribed lesion, larger and deeper than a papule ( 0.6 to 2 cm) extends into the dermal area |
alopecia | partial or complete loss of hair resulting from normal aging, and endocrine disorder, a drug reaction anticancer medication or a skin disease; commonly called- baldness |
subcutaneous | pertaining to under the skin |
choloasma | pigmentary skin discolouration usually occurring in yellowish brown patches or spots |
photodynamic | procedure in which cells selectively treated with an agent called a photo-sensitizer are exposed to light to produce a reaction that destroys the cells |
keloid | raised firm, thickened scar that may grow for a prolonged period of time |
erythema | redness of the skin caused by swelling of the capillaries |
ponch | removal of a small core of tissue using a hollow punch |
needle | removal of a small tissue sample for examination using hollow needle, usually attached to a syringe |
shave | removal of elevated lesions using a surgical blade |
debriement | removal of necrotized tissue from a wound by surgical excision, enzymes or chemical agents |
biopsy | representative tissue sample removed from a body site for microscopic examination |
dermabrasion | rubbing using wire brushes or sandpaper to mechanically scrape away the epidermis |
crustation | scab |
abrasion | scrape |
ecchymosis | skin discolouration consisting of a large, irregularly formed hemorrhagic area with colours changing from blue-black to greenish brown or yellow; commonly called bruise |
dermatoplasty | skin grafting: repair of the skin |
patch | skin test that identifies allergic contact dermatitis by applying a suspected allergen to a patch which is then taped on the skin, usually the forearm, and observing the area 24 hours later for an allergic response |
scratch | skin test that identifies suspected allergens by placing a small quantity of the suspected allergen on a lightly scratched area of the skin; also called puncture or prick test |
intradermal | skin test that identifies suspected allergens by subcutaneously injecting small amounts of extracts of the suspected allergens and observing the skin for subsequent reaction |
dermathotherapy | skin treatment |
lentigo | small brown merciless, especially of the face and arms, brought on by sun exposure, usually in a middle-aged or older person |
fissure | small slit or crack like sore that extends into the dermal layer; could be caused by continuous inflammation and drying |
pustule | small, raised, circumscribed lesion that contains pus; usually less than 1cm diameter |
onychomalacia | softening of the nail |
tumour | soild, elevated lesion larger then 2cm in diameter that extends into the dermal and subcutaneous layers |
papule | soild, elevated lesion less than 1cm in diameter hat may be the same colour as the skin or pigmented |
homeostasis | state in which the regulatory mechanisms of the body maintain an internal environment within tolerable levels, despite changes in the external environment |
mycology | study of fungus |
lumpectomy | surgical removal of a small breast tumour |
pachyderma | thick skin |
keratosis | thickened area of the epidermis or any horny growth on the skin |
fulguration | tissue destruction by means of high-frequecy electric current; also called electrodesiccation |
antiseptics | topically applied agents that inhibit growth of bacteria, thus preventing infections in cuts scratches and surgical incisions |
xenograft | transplantation from a foreign donor and usually a pig and transferred to a human also called heterograft |
synthetic | transplantation of artificial skin produced from collagen fibres arranged in a lattice pattern |
allograft | transplantation of healthy tissue from one person to another person; also called homograft |
skin graft | transplantation of healthy tissue to an injured sited |
contusion/bruise | trauma with unbroken skin |
lipoma | tumour composed of fat cells |
comedo | typical small skin lesion of dance vulgarism caused by accumulation of keratin, bacteria and dried sebum plugging an excretory duct of the skin |
frozen section | ultrathin slice of tissue from a frozen specimen for immediate pathological examination |
subungual | under the nail |
pallor | unnatural paleness or absence of colour in the skin |
cryosurgery | use of subfreezing temperature to destroy or eliminate abnormal tissue such as tumourous, warts, unwanted, cancerous, or infected tissue |
ductule | very small duct |