procedures and abbrvs and terms skin

Cryosurgery

destruction of tissue with subzero temperatures using liquid nitrogen

Curettage

scraping a lesion with a sharp curette

Electrodesiccation

destruction of tissue by burning it with an electric spark

Mohs surgery

removal of thin layers of malignant tissue followed by microscopic examination to ensure adequate resection

Skin biopsy

removal and examination of a suspicious malignant lesion by a pathologist

Skin test

injection or application of substances to the skin to diagnose allergies and diseases by observing the reaction

ABCD

asymmetry

Bx

biopsy

Derm

dermatology

DLE

discoid lupus erythematosus

PPD

purified protein derivative; skin test for tuberculosis (TB)

PUVA

psoralen–ultraviolet A light therapy for psoriasis

SLE

systemic lupus erythematosus

SC

subcutaneous

Bacterial analyses

examination of pus or fluid samples to detect microorganisms

Fungal tests

laboratory culture and microscopic examination of skin scrapings

Sebaceous glands

glands that secrete oily sebum into hair follicles for lubrication

Sebum

oily secretion that lubricates the skin and hair

Sweat glands

glands that secrete sweat through pores to cool and moisten the body

Eccrine glands

the most common type of sweat gland

Apocrine glands

sweat glands located in the armpits and near the reproductive organs

Exocrine gland

gland that releases secretions through ducts onto a surface

Hair

cells filled with the hard protein keratin

Hair follicle

shaft that holds the hair

Keratin

hard protein that makes up hair and nails

Melanocytes

cells at the hair root that produce hair color

Nails

hard keratin plates covering the fingers and toes

Lunula

white half-moon-shaped area at the base of the nail

Cuticle

keratin tissue at the base and sides of the nail

Paronychium

soft tissue surrounding the nail border