diagnostic terms

Question 1

acne

Answer 1

an inflammation of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin evidenced by comedones, pustules, or nodules on the skin

Question 2

albinism

Answer 2

a hereditary condition characterized by a partial or total lack of melanin pigment

Question 3

burn

Answer 3

any injury to body tissue caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation, or gases

Question 4

first degree burn

Answer 4

a burn involving only the epidermis, characterized by erythema and hyperesthesia (excessive sensation)

Question 5

second degree burn

Answer 5

a burn involving the epidermis and the dermis, characterized by erythema, hyperesthesia, and vesications (blisters)

Question 6

third degree burn

Answer 6

a burn involving all layers of the skin, characterized by the destruction of the epidermis and dermis with damage or destruction of the subcutaneous tissue

Question 7

cellulitis

Answer 7

an acute inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue resulting from bacterial invasion through a break in the skin (cellula = small storeroom)

Question 8

dermatitis (eczema)

Answer 8

an inflammation of the skin characterized by redness, pruritus (itching) and various lesions

Question 9

atopic dermatitis

Answer 9

a chronic skin inflammation characterized by the appearance of inflamed, swollen papules and vesicles that crust and scale, with severe itching and burning; most outbreaks begin in infancy and are marked by exacerbations and remissions that usually clear up before adulthood; occurs in persons with atopy ( a genetic hypersensitivity to environmental irritants or allergens)

Question 10

contact dermatitis

Answer 10

an inflammation of the skin resulting from contact with a substance to which one is allergic or irritated by

Question 11

seborrheic dermatitis

Answer 11

redness of the skin covered by a yellow, oily, itchy scale most commonly at the hairline, forehead, and around the nose, ears, or eyelashes developing at an age; referred to as cradle cap in infants

Question 12

dermatosis

Answer 12

any disorder of the skin

Question 13

exanthematous viral disease

Answer 13

eruption of the skin caused by a viral disease

Question 14

rubella

Answer 14

reddish; German measles

Question 15

rubeola

Answer 15

reddish; 14-day measles

Question 16

varicella

Answer 16

a tiny spot; chickenpox

Question 17

eczema

Answer 17

to boil out; the term is often used interchangeable with dermatitis to denote a skin condition characterized b the appearance of inflamed, swollen papules and vesicles that crust and scale, often with sensations of itching and burning

Question 18

furuncle

Answer 18

a boil; a painful nodule formed in the skin by inflammation originating in a hair follicle– caused by the staphylococcosis

Question 19

carbuncle

Answer 19

a skin infection consisting of clusters of furuncles (carbo= small, glowing embers)

Question 20

abscess

Answer 20

a localized collection of pus in a cavity formed by the inflammation of surrounding tissues that heals when drained or excised

Question 21

gangrene

Answer 21

an eating sore; death of tissue associated with a loss of blood supply resulting from trauma or an inflammatory or infectious process such as seen in complications of frostbite, severe burns, and conditions that affect circulation (diabetes)

Question 22

herpes simplex virus type 1

Answer 22

transient viral vesicles (cold sores, fever blisters) that infect the facial area, especially the mouth and nose (herpes= creeping skin disease)

Question 23

herpes simplex virus type 2

Answer 23

sexually transmitted ulcer like lesions of the genital and anorectal skin and mucosa; after the initial infection, the virus lies dormant in the nerve cell root and may recur at times of stress

Question 24

herpes zoster

Answer 24

a viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves; usually unilateral – also known as shingles

Question 25

ichthyosis

Answer 25

a skin condition caused by a gene defect that results in dry, thick, scaly skin; ichthyosis vulgaris is the most common of the many types (vulgaris is Greek for common)

Question 26

impetigo

Answer 26

highly contagious, bacterial skin inflammation marked by pustules that rupture and become crusted-- most often occurs around the mouth and nostrils

Question 27

keratoses

Answer 27

thickened areas of the epidermis

Question 28

actinic keratosis/ solar keratoses

Answer 28

localized thickening of the skin caused by excessive exposure to sunlight; known as a precursor to cancer

Question 29

seborrheic keratoses

Answer 29

benign wart-like lesions especially on elderly skin

Question 30

lupus

Answer 30

a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of various parts of the body (lupus= wolf)

Question 31

cutaneous lupus

Answer 31

limited to the skin; evidenced by a characteristic rash especially on the face, neck, and scalp

Question 32

systemic lupus erythematosus

Answer 32

a more severe form of lupus involving the skin, joints, and often the vital organs ( lungs, kidneys)

Question 33

malignant cutaneous neoplasm

Answer 33

skin cancer

Question 34

squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

Answer 34

malignant tumor of squamous epithelium

Question 35

basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

Answer 35

a malignant tumor of the basal layer of the epidermis (the most common type of skin cancer)

Question 36

malignant melanoma

Answer 36

a malignant tumor composed of melanocytes-- most develop from a pigmented nevus over time

Question 37

Kaposi sarcoma

Answer 37

a malignant tumor of the walls of blood vessels appearing as painless, dark bluish-purple plaques on the skin; often spreads to lymph nodes and internal organs

Question 38

onychia

Answer 38

inflammation of the fingernail or toenail

Question 39

paronychia

Answer 39

inflammation of the nail fold

Question 40

pediculosis

Answer 40

infestation with lice that causes itching and dermatitis (pediculo= louse)

Question 41

pediculosis capitis

Answer 41

head lice

Question 42

pediculosis pubis

Answer 42

pubic lice-- effects pubic hair but can also effect hair of the axilla, eyebrows, lashes, beard, or other hairy body surfaces (also known as crabs)

Question 43

psoriasis

Answer 43

an itching; a chronic, recurrent skin disease marked by silver- gray scales covering red patches on the skin that result from overproduction and thickening of skin cells-- elbows, knees, genitals, arms, legs, scalp, and nails are common sites involved

Question 44

scabies

Answer 44

a contagious disease caused by a parasite (mite) that invades the skin, causing an intense itch-- most often found at articulations between the fingers or toes, elbow, etc. (scabo = to scratch)

Question 45

seborrhea

Answer 45

a skin condition marked by the hypersecretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands

Question 46

tinea

Answer 46

a group of fungal skin diseases identified by the body part that is affected, including tinea corporis (body), commonly called ringworm, and tinea pedis (foot), also called athletes foot

Question 47

vitiligo

Answer 47

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