| A | B |
|---|
| epithelium | cells covering external & internal surfaces of the body |
| epidermis | thin, cellular outer layer of the skin |
| squamous cell layer | flat scale-like epithelial cells comprising outermost layers of epidermis |
| basal layer | deepset region of epidermis |
| melanocyte | cell found in the basal layer that gives color to the skin |
| melanin | dark brown to black pigment contained in melanocytes |
| dermis | dense, fibrous connective tissue layer of the skin (also known as corium) |
| sebaceous glands | oil glands in the skin |
| sebum | oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands |
| sudoriferous glands | sweat glands |
| subcutaneous layer | connective & adipose tissue layer just under the dermis |
| collagen | protein substance found in skin & connective tissue |
| hair | outgrowth of the skin composed of keratin |
| nail | outgrowth of the skin attached to the distal end of each finger & toe, composed of keratin |
| keratin | hard protein material found in the epidermis, hair, and nails |
| lesion | area of pathologically altered tissue (two types: primary & secondary) |
| primary lesions | lesions arising from previously normal skin |
| macule | flat discolored spot on the skin UP to 1 cm across (freckle) |
| patch | flat discolored area on the skin LARGER than 1 cm (vitiligo) |
| papule | solid mass on the skin UP to 0.5 cm in diameter (nevus/mole) |
| plaque | solid mass GREATER than 1 cm in diameter, limited to the surface of the skin |
| nodule | solid mass GREATER than 1 cm, which extends deeper into the epidermis |
| wheal | area of localized skin edema (swellling)(hive) |
| tumor | solid mass LARGER than 1-2 cm |
| vesicle | elevated fluid-filled sac (blister) within or under the epidermis up to 0.5 cm diameter (fever blister) |
| bulla | blister larger than 0.5 cm (second degree burn) |
| pustule | pus filled sac (pimple) |
| secondary lesions | lesions that result in changes in primary lesions |
| erosion | to gnaw away; loss of superficial epidermis leaving an area of moisture but no bleeding |
| ulcer | open sore on the skin or mucous membrane that can bleed & scar & sometimes accompanied by infection |
| excoriation | scratch mark |
| fissure | linear crack in the skin |
| scale | thin flake of exfoliated epidermis (dandruff) |
| crust | dried residue of serum (body liquid), pus, or blood on the skin (impetigo) |
| cicatrix of the skin | mark left by the healing of a sore or wound showing the replacement of destroyed tissue by fibrous tissue |
| keloid | abnormal overgrowth of scar tissue that is thick & irregular |
| vascular lesions | lesions of a blood vessel |
| cherry angioma | small, round, bright red blood vessel tumor on the skin, often on the trunk of the elderly |
| telangiectasia / spider angioma | tiny, red blood vessel lesion formed by the dilation of a group of blood vessels radiating from a central arteriole, most commonly seen on the face, neck, or chest |
| purpuric lesions | lesions as a result of hemorrhages into the skin |
| petechia | spot; reddish-brown, minute hemorrhagic spots on the skin that indicate a bleeding tendency |
| ecchymosis | bruise; black & blue mark |
| epidermal tumors | skin tumors arising from the epidermis |
| nevus | birthmark; congenital malformation on the skin that can be epidermal or vascular-also called a mole |
| dysplastic nevus | mole with precancerous changes |
| verruca | epidermal tumor caused by a papilloma virus-also called a wart |
| alopecia | baldness |
| comedo | blackhead caused by a plug of sebum (oil) within the opening of a hair follicle |
| eruption | appearance of a skin lesion |
| erythema | redness of skin |
| pruritus | severe itching |
| rash | general term for skin eruptions |
| suppuration | production of purulent matter (pus) |
| urticaria | hives |
| vitiligo | appearance of white patches on the skin caused by loss of melanin |
| xeroderma | dry skin |
| acne | inflammation of the sebaceous glands & hair follicles |
| albinism | partial or total lack of melanin pigment in the body |
| burn | injury to body tissue caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation, or gases |
| 1st degree burn | burn involving only the epidermis |
| 2nd degree burn | burn involving the epidermis & the dermis |
| 3rd degree burn | burn involving all layers of the skin |
| dermatitis | inflammation of the skin characterized by erythema, pruiritis, and various lesions |
| dermatosis | any disorder of the skin not usually associated with inflammation |
| exanthematous viral disease | eruption of the skin caused by a viral disease |
| rubella | German measles (reddish) |
| rubeola | 14-day measles (reddish) |
| varicella | chicken pox |
| eczema | skin condition characterized by the appearance of inflamed, swollen papules & vesicles that crust & scale |
| furuncle | boil |
| carbuncle | skin infestions consisting of clusters of furuncles |
| abscess | localized collection of pus in a cavity formed by the inflammation of surrounding tissues that heals when drained or excised |
| gangrene | eating sore; death of tissue associated with loss of blood supply |
| herpes simplex virus Type 1 | transient viral vesicles (cold sore or fever blisters) that infect the facial area, esp mouth & nose |
| herpes simplex virus Type 2 | sexually transmitted ulcer-like lesions of the genital & anorectal skin & mucosa |
| herpes zoster | shingles |
| impetigo | bacterial skin inflammation marked by pustules that rupture & become crusted, most often occurs around nose & mouth |
| keratoses | thickened areas of epidermis |
| actinic keratoses / solar keratoses | localied thickening of the skin caused by excessive exposure to sunlight |
| seborrheic keratoses | benign wart-like tumors |
| lupus | chronic autoimmune disease charac by inflammation of various parts of the body |
| cutaneous lupus | limited to the skin |
| systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) | more severe form of lupus involving the skin, joints, & often vital organs |
| malignant cutaneous neoplasm | skin cancer |
| squamous cell carcinoma | malignant tumor of squamous epithelium |
| basal cell carcinoma | malignant tumor of the basal layer of the epidermis |
| malignant melanoma | malignant tumor compose of melanocytes |
| Kaposi's sarcoma | malignant tumor of the walls of blood vessels |
| onychia | inflammation of fingernail or toenail |
| paronychia | inflammation of nail fold |
| pediculosis | infestation with lice that causes itching & dermatitis |
| pediculosis capitis | head lice |
| pediculosis pubis | lice that infects pubic region (also called crabs) |
| psoriasis | itching; chronic, recurrent skin disease marked by silver-gray scales covering red patches on the skin that result from overproduction & thickening of skin cells |
| scabies | contagious disease caused by a parasite (mite) that invades the skin causing intense itching |
| seborrhea | skin condition marked by thehypersecretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands |
| tinea | group of fungal skin diseases identified by the body part that is affected |
| biopsy (Bx) | removal of a small piece of tissue for microscropic pathological exam |
| excisional Bx | removal of an entire lesion |
| incisional Bx | removal of a selected portion of a lesion |
| shave Bx | technique using a surgical blade to "shave" tissue from epidermis & upper dermis |
| culture and sensitivity (C&S) | technique of isolating & growing colonies of microorganism to identy a pathogen & to determine which drugs might be effective |
| frozen section (FS) | surgical method involving cutting a thin piece of tissue from a frozen specimen for immediate pathological examination |
| skin test | methods for determining the reaction of the body to a given substance by applying it to, or injecting it into, the skin |
| patch test | substance is applied topically to the skin on a small piece of blotting paper or wet cloth |
| chemosurgery / chemical peel | technique for restoring wrinkled, scarred, or blemished skin by application of an acid solution to "peel" away the top layers of the skin |
| cryosurgery | destruction of tissue by freezing |
| dermabrasion | surgical removal of frozen epidermis using wire brushes & emery papers |
| debridement | removal of dead tissue from a wound or burn site to promote healing & prevent infection |
| curettage | scraping of a wound using a spoon-like cutting instrument; to clean |
| electrosurgical procedures | use of electric currents to destroy tissue |
| electrocautery | use of an instrument heated by electric current (cautery) to coagulate bleeding areas by burning the tissue |
| electrodesiccation | use of short, high-frequency, electric currents to destroy tissue by drying (makes direct contact with the skin) |
| fulguration | to lighten; use of long, high-frequency, electric sparsk to destroy tissue (does not touch the skin) |
| incision and drainage (I&D) | incision and drainage of an infected skin lesion |
| laser surgery | surgery using a laser in various dermatological procedures to remove lesions, scars, tattoos, etc |
| laser | acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emmission of Radiation |
| Mohs' surgery | technique used to excise tumors of the skin by removing fresh tissue layer by layer until a tumor-free plane is reached |
| skin grafting | transfer of skin from one body site to another to replace skin lost through burns or injury |
| autograft | transfer to a new position in the body of the same person |
| homograft / allograft | donor transfer between person of the same species such as human to human |
| chemotherapy | treatment of malignancies, infections, & other diseases with chemical agents that destroy selected cells or impair their ability to reproduce |
| radiation therapy | treatment of neoplastic disease by using ionizing radiation to deter proliferation of malignant cells |
| sclerotherapy | use of sclerosing agents in treating diseases |
| ultraviolet therapy | use of ultraviolet light to promote healing of a skin |
| anesthetic | drug that temporarily blocks transmission of nerve conduction to produce a loss of sensation |
| antibiotic | drug that kills or inhibits the growth of micoorganisms |
| antifungal | drug that kills or prevents the growth of fungi |
| antihistamine | drug that blocks the effects of histamine in the body |
| histamine | regulating body substance released in excess during allergic reactions causing swelling & inflammation of tissues |
| anti-inflammatory | drug that reduces inflammation |
| antipruritic | drug that relieves itching |
| antiseptic | an agent that inhibits the growth of infectious microorganisms |
| heterograft | graft transfer from one animal species to one of another species |
