Chapter 13: Skin, The Integumentary System

cry/o

cold

cutane/o

skin

derm/o, dermat/o

skin

hidr/o

sweat

hirsut/o

hairy, rough

lip/o

fat, lipid

melan/o

black, dark

myc/o

fungus

onych/o

fingernail or toenail

pil/i, pil/o

hair

py/o

pus

rhytid/o

wrinkle

seb/o

sebum

urtic/o

rash, hives

xer/o

dry

actinic keratosis

(AK), also called a solar keratosis, is a precancerous skin growth that occurs on sun-damaged skin.

albinism

a genetic condition characterized by a deficiency or the absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and irises of the eyes.

alopecia

also known as baldness, is the partial or complete loss of hair, most commonly on the scalp.

blepharoplasty

also known as a lid lift, is the surgical reduction of the upper and lower eyelids by removing sagging skin.

bulla

a large blister that is usually more than 0.5 cm in diameter (plural, bullae).

capillary hemangioma

also known as a strawberry birthmark, is a soft, raised, pink, or red vascular birthmark.

carbuncle

a cluster of connected furuncles.

cellulitis

an acute, rapidly spreading bacterial infection within the connective tissues that is characterized by malaise, swelling, warmth, and red streaks.

cicatrix

a normal scar resulting from the healing of a wound (plural, cicatrices).

comedo

a noninfected lesion formed by the buildup of sebum and keratin in a hair follicle often associated with acne vulgaris (plural, comedones).

debridement

the removal of dirt, foreign objects, damaged tissue, and cellular debris from a wound to prevent infection and to promote healing.

dermatitis

an inflammation of the skin.

diaphoresis

profuse sweating.

dysplastic nevi

atypical moles that can develop into skin cancer.

ecchymosis

commonly known as a bruise, is a large, irregular area of purplish discoloration due to bleeding under the skin.

eczema

also known as atopic dermatitis, is a form of persistent or recurring dermatitis usually characterized by redness, itching, and dryness, with possible blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding.

erythema

redness of the skin due to capillary dilation.

erythroderma

abnormal redness of the entire skin surface.

exanthem

a widespread rash, usually in children.

exfoliative dermatitis

a condition in which there is widespread scaling of the skin.

folliculitis

an inflammation of the hair follicles.

furuncles

also known as boils, are large, tender, swollen areas caused by a staphylococcal infection around hair follicles or sebaceous glands.

hematoma

usually caused by an injury, is a swelling of clotted blood trapped in the tissues.

hirsutism

the presence of excessive body and facial hair in women, usually occurring in a male pattern.

ichthyosis

a group of disorders characterized by dry, thickened, and scaly skin.

impetigo

a highly contagious bacterial skin infection that commonly occurs in children.

keloid

an abnormally raised or thickened scar that expands beyond the boundaries of the original incision.

keratosis

any skin growth, such as a wart or a callus, in which there is overgrowth and thickening of the skin.

koilonychia

also known as spoon nail, is a malformation of the nails in which the outer surface is concave or scooped out like the bowl of a spoon.

lipedema

also known as painful fat syndrome, is a chronic abnormal condition that is characterized by the accumulation of fat and fluid in the tissues just under the skin of the hips and legs.

lipoma

a benign, slow-growing fatty tumor located between the skin and the muscle layer.

macule

also known as a macula, is a discolored flat spot that is less than 1 cm in diameter.

malignant melanoma

(MM), also known as melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that occurs in the melanocytes.

melasma

also known as chloasma or the mask of pregnancy, is a pigmentation disorder characterized by brownish spots on the face.

necrotizing fasciitis

(NF) is a rare, severe infection caused by group A strep bacteria, which are also known as flesh-eating bacteria.

onychocryptosis

commonly known as an ingrown toenail.

onychomycosis

a fungal infection of the nail.

papilloma

a benign, superficial, wart-like growth on the epithelial tissue or elsewhere in the body, such as in the bladder.

papule

a small, raised red lesion on the skin that is less than 0.5 cm in diameter and does not contain pus.

paronychia

an acute or chronic infection of the skin fold around a nail.

pediculosis

an infestation with lice.

petechiae

very small, pinpoint hemorrhages on the skin that are less than 2 mm in diameter (singular, petechia).

pressure ulcer

also known as a decubitus ulcer or bedsore, is an open ulcerated wound that is caused by prolonged pressure on an area of skin over a bony prominence, such as heels, elbows, hips, and spine.

pruritus

also known as itching, is associated with most forms of dermatitis.

psoriasis

(Ps) is a common skin disorder characterized by flare-ups in which red papules covered with silvery scales occur on the elbows, knees, scalp, , or buttocks.

purpura

the appearance of multiple purple discolorations on the skin caused by bleeding underneath the skin.

purulent

producing or containing pus.

rhytidectomy

also known as a facelift, is the surgical removal of excess skin and fat from the face to eliminate wrinkles.

rosacea

also known as adult acne, is characterized by tiny red pimples and enlarged blood vessels on the face.

scabies

a skin infection caused by an infestation of itch mites.

scleroderma

(SCD) is an autoimmune disorder in which the connective tissues become thickened and hardened, causing the skin to become hard and swollen.

seborrheic dermatitis

an inflammation sometimes resulting from overactivity of the sebaceous glands that causes scaling and itching of the upper layers of the skin or scalp.

squamous cell carcinoma

(SCC) originates as a malignant tumor of the scaly squamous cells of the epithelium; however, it can quickly spread to other body systems.

systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE), also known as lupus, is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a red, scaly rash on the face and upper trunk.

tinea

a fungal infection that can grow on the skin, hair, or nails.

urticaria

also known as hives, are itchy wheals caused by an allergic reaction.

verrucae

also known as warts, are small, hard skin lesions caused by the human papillomavirus (singular, verruca).

vitiligo

a skin condition resulting from the destruction of melanocytes due to unknown causes.

wheal

also known as a welt, is a small bump that itches.

xeroderma

also known as xerosis, is excessively dry skin.