med term chap. 4

skin

organ covering the body; made up of layers (also called cutaneous membrane)

epidermis

outer layer of skin, protects the body from the external environment

keratin

scleroprotein component of the horny, or cornified, layer of the epidermis. It is also contained in the hair and nails.

melanin

The dark pigment synthesized by melanocytes; responsible for skin color

hair

Compressed, kerantinized cells that arise from hair follicles, the sacs that enclose the hair fibers.

nails

horny plates made from flattened epithelial cells; found on the dorsal surface of the ends of the fingers and toes

sebaceous glands

secrete sebum (oil) into the hair follicles where the hair shafts pass through the dermis

sudoriferous glands

tiny, coiled, tubular structures that emerge through pores on the skin's surface and secrete sweat (sweat glands)

dermis

inner layer of skin; responsible for its flexibility and mechanical strength

hypodermis

layer between the dermis and the underlying tissues and organs, contains adipose tissue, connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels\`

aden/o

gland

erythr/o

red

leuk/o

white

xanth/o

yellow

hyper-

above, excessive

hypo-

below, incomplete, deficient, under

-al

pertaining to

-genic

producing, originating, causing

-ic

pertaining to

-logist

one who studies and treats

-logy

study of

-oma

tumor, swelling

-osis

abnormal condition (means increase when used with blood cell word roots)

-ous

pertaining to

dermatitis

inflammation of the skin

dermatofibroma

fibrous tumor of the skin

hidradenitis

inflammation of a sweat gland

keratosis

abnormal condition (growth) of horny tissue (keratin)

onychocryptosis

abnormal condition of a hidden nail (ingrown nail)

onychomalacia

softening of the nails

onychomycosis

abnormal condition of a fungus in the nails

onychophagia

eating the nails (nail biting)

pachyderma

thickening of the skin

paronychia

diseased state around the nail

scleroderma

hard skin

seborrhea

discharge of sebum (excessive)

xanthoma

yellow tumor (benign, primarily in the skin)

xeroderma

dry skin

abrasion

scraping away of the skin by mechanical process or injury

acne

inflammatory disease of the skin involving the sebaceous glands and hair follicles

actinic keratosis

precancerous skin condition of horny tissue formation that results from excessive exposure to sunlight, may evolve into a squamous cell carcinoma

albanism

congenital hereditary condition characterized by partial or total lack of pigment (melanin) in the skin, hair, and eyes

basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

malignant epithelial tumor arising from the bottom layer of the epidermis called the basal layer; it seldom metastasizes, but invades local tissue and often recurs in the same location (common in response to sun exposure)

candidiasis

infection of the skin, mouth, or vagina caused by the yeast-type fungus candida albicans

carbuncle

infection of skin and subcutaneous tissue composed of a cluster of boils caused by staphylococcal bacteria

cellulitis

inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by infection, characterized by redness, pain, swelling, and fever

contusion

injury with no break in the skin, characterized by pain, swelling, and discoloration (bruise)

eczema

noninfectious, inflammatory skin disease characterized by redness, blisters, scabs, and itching

fissure

slit or cracklike sore in the skin

furuncle

painful skin nodule caused by staphylococcal bacteria in a hair follicle

gangrene

death of tissue caused by loss of blood supply followed by bacterial invasion

herpes

inflammatory skin disease caused by herpes virus characterized by small blisters in clusters

impetigo

superficial skin infection characterized by pustules and caused by either staphylococci or streptococci

Kaposi sarcoma (KS)

cancerous condition starting as purple or brown papules on the lower extremities that spreads through the skin to the lymph nodes and internal organs; frequently seen with AIDS

keloid

overgrowth of scar tissue

laceration

torn, ragged-edged wound

measels

highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, runny nose, cough and a spreading skin rash

MRSA infection

invasion of body tissue by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, can produce skin and soft tissue infections and bloodstream infectionsand pneumonia

pediculosis

invasion into the skin and hair by lice

pilonidal cyst

abnormal pocket in the skin that contains hair and skin debris

pressure injury

damage of the skin and the subcutaneous tissue caused by prolonged pressure

Psoriasis

chronic skin condition producing red lesions covered with silvery scales

rosacea

chronic disorder of the skin that produces erythema, papules, pustules, and broken blood vessels, usually occurring on the central area of the face in people older than 30 years

scabies

a skin infection caused by an infestation of itch mites, characterized by papule eruptions caused by females laying eggs in the skin

squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

malignant growth developing from scalelike epithelial tissue of the surface layer of the epidermis; it invades local tissue and may metastasize. While most commonly appearing on the skin, SCC can occur in other parts of the body including the mouth, lips, and genitals. The most frequent cause is chronic exposure to sunlight

systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

chronic inflammatory disease involving the skin, joints, kidneys, and nervous system, characterized by periods of remission and exacerbations, may affect other organs

tinea

fungal infection of the skin, may infect keratin of the skin, hair and nails, also called ringworm and athlete's foot

Uticaria

itchy skin eruption composed of wheals of varying sizes and shapes

vitiligo

white patches on the skin caused by the destruction of melanocytes associated with autoimmune disorders

dermatoplasty

surgical repair of the skin

rhytidectomy

excision of wrinkles

cauterization

destruction of tissue with a hot or cold instrument, electric current, or caustic substance

cyrosurgery

destruction of tissue by using extreme cold, often by using liquid nitrogen

debridement

removal of contaminated or dead tissue and foreign matter from an open wound

dermabrasion

procedure to remove skin scars with abrasive material, such as sandpaper

excision

removal by cutting

incision

surgical cut or wound produced by a sharp instrument

incision and drainage (I&D)

surgical cut made to allow the free flow or withdrawal of fluids from a lesion, wound, or cavity

laser surgery

procedure using an instrument that emits a high-powered beam of light used to cut, burn, vaporize, or destroy tissue

Mohs surgery

technique of microscopically controlled serial excisions of a skin cancer

skin graft

skin transplanted to replace a lost portion of the body skin surface; it may be a full-thickness or split-thickness graft

suturing

to stitch edges of a wound surgically

erythrodema

red skin

Hypertrichosis

abnormal condition of excessive hair (growth)--hirsutism

leukoderma

white skin

xanthoderma

yellow skin

xerosis

abnormal condition of dryness

dermatologist

physician who studies and treats skin

dermatology

study of the skin

cutaneous

pertaining to the skin

epidermal

pertaining to upon the skin

hypodermic

pertaining to under the skin

Intradermal (ID)

pertaining to within the skin

keratogenic

producing horny tissue

percutaneous

pertaining to through the skin

subcutaneous (subcut)

pertaining to under the skin

subungual

pertaining to under the nail

transdermal (TD)

pertaining to through the skin

ungual

pertaining to the nail

Staphylococcus (staph)

berry-shaped (bacterium) in grapelike clusters (these bacteria cause many skin diseases)