Medical Terminology: Chapter 3
The Integumentary System
Terms
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- Acne
- An inflammatory condition of the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles; pimples
- Acrochordon
- A small outgrowth of epidermal and dermal tissue; skin tags
- Actinic Dermatitis
- Inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to radiant energy, such as x-rays, ultraviolet light, and sunlight
- Albinism
- Absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes
- Alopecia
- Loss of hair, baldness; alopecia areata is loss of hair in defined patches usually involving the scalp. Male pattern alopecia beings in the frontal area and proceeds until only a horseshoe area of the hair remains in the back and temples
- Anhidrosis
- A condition in which there is a lack or complete absence of sweating
- Autograft
- A graft taken from one part of the patient's body and transferred to another part
- Avulsion
- The process of forcibly tearing off a part or structure of the body, such as a finger or toe
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- An epithelial malignant tumor of the skin that rarely metastasizes. It usually begins as a small, shiny papule and enlarges to form a whitish border around a central depression
- Bite
- An injury in which a part of the body surfacce is torn by an insect, animal, or human, resulting in an abrasion, puncture, or laceration.
- Boil
- An acute, painful nodule formed in the subcutaneous layers of the skin, gland, or hair follicle; most often caused by the invasion of staphylococci; furuncle
- Bulla
- A larger blister; a bleb
- Burn
- An injury to tissue caused by heat, fire, chemical,electricity, lightning, or radiation; burns are classified according to degree or depth of skin damage
- Callus
- Hardened skin
- Candidiasis
- An infection of the skin or muscous membranes with any species of Candida, but chiefly Candida albicans. Candida is a genus of yeasts and was formerly called Monilla
- Carbuncle
- An infection of the subsutaneous tissue, usually composed of a cluster of boils
- Causalgia
- Intense burning pain associated with trophic skin changes in the hand or foot after trauma to the part
- Cellulitis
- Inflammation of cellular or connective tissue
- Cicatrix
- The scar left after the healing of a wound
- Comedo
- Blackhead
- Corn
- A horny induration and thinkening or the skin on the caused by ill-fitting shoes
- Cutaneous
- Pertaining to the skin
- Cyst
- A bladder or sac; a closed sac that contains fluid, semifluid, or solid material
- Decubitus
- Literally means a lying down; a bedsore
- Dehiscence
- The separation or bursting open of a surgical wound
- Dermatitis
- Inflammation of the skin
- Dermatologist
- One who specializes in the study of the skin
- Dermatology
- The study of the skin
- Dermatome
- An instrument used to cut the skin for grafting
- Dermomycosis
- A skin condition caused by a fungus
- Ecchymosis
- A condition in which the blood seeps into the skin causing discolorations ranging from blue-black to greenish yellow
- Eczema
- An inflammatory skin disease of the epidermis
- Erythema
- A redness of the skin; may be caused by capillary congestion, inflammation, heat, sunlight, or cold temperature. Erythema infectiosum is known as Fifth disease, a mild, moderately contagious disease caused by the human pavovirus B-19. It is most commonly seen in school-age children and is thought to be spread via respiratory secretions from infected persons.
- Erythroderma
- Abnormal redness of the skin occurring over widespread areas of the body
- Eschar
- A slough, scab
- Excoriation
- Abrasion of the epidermis by scratching, trauma, chemicals, burns, etc.
- Folliculitis
- Inflammation of a follicle or follicles
- Herpes Simplex
- An inflammatory skin disease caused by a herpes virus (Type I); cold sore or fever blister
- Hidradenitis
- Inflammation of the sweat glands
- Hives
- Eruption of itching and burning swellings on the skin; urticaria
- Hyperhidrosis
- A condition of excessive sweating
- Hypodermic
- Pertaining to under the skin or inserted under the skin, as a hypodermic injection
- Icteric
- Pertaining to jaundice
- Impetigo
- A skin infection marked by vesicles or bullae; usually caused by streptococci or staphylococci
- Integumentary
- A covering; the skin, consisting or the dermis and epidermis
- Intradermal
- Pertaining to within the skin, as an intradermal injection
- Jaundice
- Yellow; a symptom of a disease in which there is excessive bile in the blood; the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucous membranes are yellow; icterus
- Keloid
- Overgrowth of scar tissue caused by excessive collagen formation
- Lentigo
- A flat, browninsh spot on the skin sometimes caused by exposure to the sun and weather; freckle
- Leukoderma
- Localized loss of pigmentation of the skin
- Leukoplakia
- White spots or patches formed on the muscous membrane of the tongue or cheek; the spots are smooth, hard, and irregular in shape and may becaome malignant
- Lupus
- Originally used to describe a destructive type of skin lesion; current usage of the word is usually in combination with the words vulgaris or erythematosus: lupus vulgaris or lupus erythematosus
- Melanocarcinoma
- A cancerous tumor that has black pigmentation
- Melanoma
- A malignant black mole or tumor
- Miliaria
- Is called prickly heat and is commonly seen in newborns and/or infants. It is caused by excessive body warmth. There is retention of sweat in the sweat glands, which have become blocked or inflamed, and then rupture or leak into the skin. Miliaria appears as a rash with tiny pinheadsized papules, vesicles, and/or pustules
- Mole
- A pigmented, elevated spot above the surface or the skin; a nevus
- Onychitis
- Inflammation of the nail
- Onychomycosis
- A condition of the nail caused by a fungus
- Pachyderma
- Thick skin
- Paronychia
- An infectious condition of the marginal structures around the nail
- Pediculosis
- A condition of infestation with lice
- Petechlae
- Small, pinpoint, purplish hemorrhagic spots on the skin
- Pruritus
- A severe itching
- Psoriasis
- A chronic skin disease characterized by pink or dull-red lesions surmounted by silvery scaling
- Purpura
- A purplish discoloration of the skin caused by extravasation of blood into the tissues
- Rhytidoplasty
- Plastic surgery for the removal of wrinkles
- Roseola
- Any rose-colored rash marked by maculae or red spots on the skin
- Rubella
- A systemic disease caused by a virus and characterized by a rash and fever; also called German measles and three-day measles
- Scabies
- A contagious skin disease characterized by papules, vesicles, pustules, burrows, and intense itching; it is caused by the itch mite and is also called "the itch" or the "seven-year itch"
- Scar
- The mark left by the healing process of a wond, sore, or injury
- Scleroderma
- A chronic condition with hardening of the skin and other connective tissues of the body
- Seborrhea
- Excessive flow of oil from the sebaceous glands
- Senile Keratosis
- A condition occurring in older people wherein there is dry skin and localized scaling caused by excessive exposure to the sun
- Striae (plural)
- Streaks or lines on the breasts, thighs, abdomen, or buttocks caused by weakening of elastic tissue
- Subcutaneous
- Pertaining to below the skin, as a subcutaneous
- Subungual
- Pertaining to below the nail
- Taut
- Tight, firm; to pull or draw tight a surface, such as the skin
- Telangiectasia
- Dilatation of small blood vessels that may appear as a "birthmark"
- Thermanestsia
- Inability to distinguish between the sensations of heat and cold
- Tinea
- Contagious skin diseases affecting both man and domestic animals, caused by certain fungi, and marked by the localized appearance of discolored, scaly patches on the skin; also called ringworm
- Trichomycosis
- A fungus condition of the hair
- Ulcer
- An open lesion or sore of the epidermis or muscous membrane
- Varicella
- A contagious viral disease characterized by fever, headache, and a crop of red spots that become mscules, papules, vesicles, and crusts; also called chickenpox
- Vitiligo
- A skin condition characterized by milk-white patches surrounded by areas of normal pigmentation
- Wart
- An elevation of viral origin on the epidermis; verruca. A plantar wart is known as verruca plantaris. It occurs on pressure bearing area, especially the sole of the foot
- Wound
- An injury to soft tissue caused by trauma; generally classified as open or closed
- xanthoderma
- Yellow skin
- Xanthoma
- Yellow tumor
- Xeroderma
- Dry skin
- Xerosis
- Abnormal dryness of skin, mucous membranes, or the conjunctiva