| A | B |
|---|
| Adipose | Pertaining to fat |
| Albinism | Condition of no pigment in skin, hair, and eyes (white skin) |
| Albino | A person with skin deficient in pigment |
| Alopecia | Absence of hair from areas where it normally grows; baldness |
| Alopecia Areata | An idiopathic condition in which hair falls out in patches |
| Anhidrosis | Condition of lack of sweat |
| Basal layer | The deepest region of the epidermis; it gives rise to all the epidermal cells |
| Causalgia | Intensely unpleasant burning sensation in the skin (due to nerve damage) |
| Collagen | Structural protein found in the skin and connective tissue |
| Corium | The middle layer of the skin; dermis |
| Cuticle | Band of epidermis at the base and side of the nail plate |
| Dermatologist | Specialist in diseases of the skin |
| Dermatomycosis | Abnormal condition of fungal infection in the skin |
| Dermatophytosis | Abnormal condition of fungus (plant) infection in the skin |
| Dermatoplasty | Surgical repair of the skin |
| Dermis | The corium; middle layer of the skin |
| Dermabrasion | A surgical procedure performed to remove acne scars, tatoos, or fine wrinkles; also used to remove keratoses |
| Exudate | Fluid that accumulates in a space or passes out of tissues |
| Dermatome | An instrument for cutting thin skin slices for grafting |
| Diaphoresis | Condition of profuse sweating |
| Epidermis | Outermost layer of skin |
| Dermatitis | Inflammation of skin |
| Epidermolysis | Loosening of the skin with the development of large blisters; occurs after injury |
| Epithelium | The layer of skin cells forming the outer and inner surfaces of the body |
| Erythema | Condition of redness of the skin (flushing) |
| Erythematous | Pertaining to redness of the skin |
| Hair follicle | The sac or tube within which each hair grows |
| Ichthyosis | Abnormal condition of dry, scaly skin |
| Horny cell | A keratin-filled cell in the epidermis |
| Integumentary system | The skin and its accessory structures (hair, nails, and glands) |
| Keratin | A hard, protein material found in the epidermis, hair, and nails; keratin means horn and is commonly found in the horns of animals |
| Keratosis | Abnormal condition of thickened areas of the skin (horny cells accumulate) |
| Leukoderma | White skin (absence of pigment in the skin; acquired in vitiligo and congenital in albinism) |
| Leukoplakia | White, thickened patches on mucous membrane tissue of the tongue or cheek; precancerous; common in smokers |
| Lipocyte | A fat cell |
| Lipoma | Tumor of fat |
| Liposuction | Removal of subcutaneous fat tissue through a tube that is introduced into the fatty area via a small incision; the fat is aspirated (suctioned) out |
| Lunula | The half-moon-shaped, white area at the base of the nail |
| Melanin | A black pigment formed by melanocytes in the epidermis |
| Melanocyte | Cell that forms melanin and is found in the epidermis of the skin |
| Melanoma | Malignant tumor of melanocytes; attributed to an intense exposure to sunlight |
| Onychomycosis | Abnormal condition of fungal infection of nails |
| Onycholysis | Separation of nail plate from the nail bed in fungal infections or after trauma |
| Paronychia | Condition of inflammation and swelling (infection) of the tissue around the nail; associated with torn cuticles or ingrown nails |
| Pilosebaceous | Pertaining to a sebaceous gland and hair |
| Pyoderma | Condition of pus (infection) within the skin |
| Sebaceous gland | An oil-secreting gland in the corium that is associated with hair follicles |
| Seborrhea | "Flow of sebum"; disturbance of sebaceous glands marked by increase in the flow of sebum |
| Seborrheic dermatitis | Dandruff |
| Sebum | An oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands |
| Squamous epithelium | Flat, scale-like cells that cover the outside of the body and line the inner tubes of the body |
| Steatoma | Mass, tumor arising from a sebaceous gland; sebaceous cyst |
| Stratified | Arranged in layers |
| Stratum | A layer (of cells) |
| Strata | Layers of cells |
| Subcutaneous | Pertaining to beneath the skin |
| Subcutaneous tissue | Innermost layer of the skin, containing fat tissue |
| Stratum corneum | The outermost layer of the epidermis, which consists of flattened, keratinized (horny) cells |
| Subungual | Pertaining to under a nail |
| Trichomycosis | Disease of the hair due to a fungal infection |
| Xanthoma | Flat, slightly elevated, rounded plaque or nodule usually found on the eyelids |
| Xeroderma | Abnormal condition of dry, rough skin; a mild form of ichthyosis |
| Acne | Papular and pustular eruption of the skin |
| Basal cell carcinoma | Malignant tumor of the basal cell layer of the epidermis; most frequent type of skin cancer; usually occurs on the upper half of the face; almost never metastasizes |
| Bulla | A large vesicle or blister |
| Burns | Injury to tissues caused by heat contact--from dry heat (fire), moist heat (steam or liquid), chemicals, lightning, electricity, or radiation |
| Callus | Increased growth of cells in the horny layer of the epidermis due to pressure ot friction |
| Comedo | A blackhead--a sebum plug partially blocking a pore |
| Comedones | Blackheads |
| Cyst | A thick-walled, closed sac or pouch containing fluid or semisolid material |
| Cellulitis | A common nonsuppurative infection of connective tissue with severe inflammation of the dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin |
| Cryosurgery | Tissue is destroyed by an application of intensely cold liquid nitrogen |
| Cicatrix | A normal scar left by a healed wound |
| Decubitus ulcer | Bedsore |
| Ecchymosis | Bluish-black mark (macule) on the skin |
| Eczema | Inflammatory skin disease with erythematous, papulovesicular lesions |
| Exanthematous viral disease | Rash (exanthem) of the skin due to a viral infection (examples: rubella, rubeola, and varicella) |
| Fissure | A groove or crack-like sore |
| Fungal tests | Scrapings from skin lesions are placed on a growth medium for several weeks and then examined microscopically for evidence of fungal growth |
| Gangrene | Death of tissue associated with loss of blood supply |
| Impetigo | Bacterial inflammatory skin disease characterized by vesicles, pustules, and crusted-over lesions; this is a contagious pyoderma usually caused by staphylococci or streptococci |
| Kaposi sarcoma | Malignant, vascular, neoplastic growth characterized by cutaneous nodules usually on the lower extremities |
| Keloid | Hypertrophied, thickened scar after trauma or surgical incision |
| Lesion | An area of damaged tissue, caused by disease or trauma (examples: cysts, fissures, macules, papules, polyps, pustules, ulcers, vesicles, and wheals) |
| Macule | A discolored (often reddened) flat lesion (examples: freckles, tattoo marks, and flat moles) |
| Mohs surgery | Thin layers of malignant growth are removed, and each is examined under the microscope |
| Nevus | Pigmented lesion of the skin |
| Dysplastic nevi | Moles that do not form properly and may progress to form a malignant melanoma |
| Pilonidal cyst | A cyst found over the sacral area of the back in the midline and contains hairs |
| Polyp | A mushroom-like growth extending on a stalk from the surface of a mucous membrane |
| Papule | A small, solid elevation of the skin (examples: pimples and nodules) |
| Petechiae | Small, pinpoint hemorrhages; smaller versions of ecchymoses |
| Pruritus | Itching |
| Putrefaction | Proteins are decomposed by bacteria (with the production of foul-smelling compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia) |
| Psoriasis | Chronic, recurrent dermatosis marked by itchy, scaly, red patches covered by silvery gray scales that commonly form on the forearms, knees, legs, and scalp |
| Purpura | Merging ecchymoses and petechiae over any part of the body (large areas of bleeding under the skin) |
| Purulent | Pus-filled |
| Pustule | A small elevation of the skin containing pus (a small abscess on the skin) |
| Rubella | German measles |
| Rubeola | Measles |
| Scabies | A contagious, parasitic infection of the skin with intense pruritus (often spread through sexual contact) |
| Scleroderma | A chronic progressive disease of the skin with hardening and shrinking of connective tissue |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | Malignant tumor of the squamous epithelial cells of the epidermis |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus | Chronic inflammatory disease of collagen in the skin, of joints, and of internal organs; an autoimmune condition |
| Discoid lupus erythematosus | The milder, scaling, plaque-like, superficial eruption of the skin of the face, scalp, ears, chest, arms, and back |
| Tinea | Contagious infection of the skin caused by a fungus; ringworm |
| Ulcer | An open sore or erosion of the skin or mucous membrane |
| Urticaria | An acute allergic reaction in which red, round wheals develop on the skin; hives |
| Telangiectasis | Dilated blood vessels |
| Dermatographism | Urticaria due to physical allergy in which a pale, raised welt or wheal with a red flare on each side is elicited by stroking or scratching the skin with a dull instrument |
| Varicella | Chickenpox |
| Verruca | Plantar wart that occurs on the soles of feet |
| Vesicle | A small collection of clear fluid (serum); blister |
| Vitiligo | Loss of pigment (depigmentation) in areas of the skin (milk-white patches); also called leukoderma |
| Wheal | A smooth, slightly elevated, edematous (swollen) area that is redder or paler than the sorrounding skin; hives |
| Punch biopsy | Test used to obtain tissue in cases in which complete excision is not feasible |
| Shave biopsy | Tissue is excised using a cut parallel to the surface of the surrounding skin |
| Patch test | Skin test - a small piece of gauze or filter paper containing a suspected allergy-causing substance is applied to the skin |
| Scratch test | Test involving making several scratches in the skin and inserting a small amount of test material in the scratches |
| Intradermal test | Performed by injection of a reactive substance between layers of the skin and observation of the skin for a subsequent reaction |
