Ch. 3 Diagnostic Terms Flashcards
albinism
a hereditary condition characterized by a partial or total lack of melanin pigment (particularly in the eyes, skin and hair)
acne
inflammation of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin, evidenced by comedones (blackheads), pustules, or nodules on the skin (acne = point)
burn
injury to body tissue caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation, or gases
first-degree burn
a burn involving only the epidermis; characterized by erythemia (redness) and hyperesthesia (excessive sensation)
second-degree burn
a burn involving the epidermis and the dermis; characterized by erythema, hyperesthesia, and vesications (blisters)
third-degree burns
a burn involving all layers of the skin; characterized by the destruction of the epidermis and dermis, with damage or destruction of subcutaneous tissue
dermatitis
inflammation of the skin characterized by erythema, pruritus (itching), and various lesions
dermatosis
any disorder of the skin
exanthematous viral disease
an eruption of the skin caused by a viral disease (exanthema = eruption)
rubella
reddish; German measles
rubeola
reddish; 14-day measles
varicella
a tiny spot; chickenpox
eczema
to boil out; often used interchangeable with dermatitis to denote a skin condition characterized by the appearance of inflamed, swollen papules and vesicles that crust and scale, often with sensations of itching and burning
furnuncle
boil; a painful nodule formed in the skin by inflammation originating in a hair folicle; cause by staphalococcosis
carbuncle
a skin infection consisting of clusters of furnuncles (carbo = small, glowing embers)
abscess
a localized collection of pus in a cavity formed by the inflammation of surrounding tissues, which heals when drained or excised (abscessus = a going away)
gangrene
an eating sore; death of tissue associated with loss of blood supply
herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)
transient viral vesicles (e.g., cold sores or fever blisters) that infect the facial area, especially the mouth and nose (herpes = creeping skin disease)
herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)
sexually transmitted, ulcer-like lesions of the genital and anorectal skin and mucosa; after initial infection, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cell root and may recur at times of stress
herpes zoster
a viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following affected nerves, usually unilateral; also known as shingles (zoster = girdle)
impetigo
a highly contagious, bacterial skin inflammation marked by pustules that rupture and become crusted, most often around the mouth and nostrils
keratoses
thickened areas of the epidermis
actinic (or solar) keratoses
localized thickening of the skin caused by excessive exposure to sunlight, a known precursor to cancer (actinic = ray; solar = sun)
seborrheic keratoses
benign, wart-like tumors; more common on elderly skin
lupus
a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of various parts of the body (lupus = wolf)
cutaneous lupus
limited to the surface of the skin; evidenced by a characteristic rash, especially on the face, neck, and scalp
systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)
a more severe form of lupus involving the skin, joints, and often vital organs
malignant cutaneous neoplasm
skin cancer
squamous cell carcinoma
malignant tumor of the squamous epithelium
basil cell carcinoma (BCC)
malignant tumor of the basal layer of the epidermis; the most common type of skin cancer
malignant melanoma
malignant tumor composed of melanocytes
Kaposi sarcoma
malignant tumor of the wall of blood vessels, appearing as painless, dark bluish-purple plaques on the skin; often spreads to the lymph nodes and internal organs; commonly seen in patients with HIV/AIDS
onychia
inflammation of the fingernail or toenail
paronychia
inflammation of the nail fold
pediculosis
infestation with lice that causes itching and dermatitis
pediculosis capitis
head lic (capitus = head)
pediculosis pubis
lice that generally infect the pubic region and sometimes also hair of the axilla, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, or other hairy body surfaces; also called crabs (pubis = groin)
psorasis
itching; a chronic, recurrent skin disease marked by silvery scales covering red patches, papules, and/or plaques on the skin that result from overproduction and thickening of the skin cells; common sites of involvement are the elbows, knees, genitals, arms, legs, scalp, and nails
scabies
a contagious disease caused by a parasite (mite) that invades the skin, causing an intense itch, most often at articulations between the fingers or toes, elbow, etc. (scabo = to scratch)
seborrhea
a skin condition marked by the hypersecretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands
tinea
a group of fungal skin diseases identified by the body part affected, including tinea corporis (body), commonly called ringworm, and tinea pedis (foot), also called athlete’s foot
vitiligo
a condition caused by the destruction of melanin that results in the appearance of white patches on the skin (commonly the face, hands, legs, and genital areas)
