ME102 Dermatology

By Ivy Vo

Roots

• -a : medical condition

• Ab- : away from or off

• -abration : wearing away

• -acea : condition

• Adip- : fat

• Alopec- : hair loss

• -aria : condition or state

• -ation : action or process

• Atop- : on or over

• Bio- : life

• Carcin- : crab or cancer

• Cellul- : small cell

• -cess : to go or yield

• Comedo- : blackhead

• -cori- : skin or hide

• Cryo- : cold or frost

• -cutaneous : skin

• Derm- : skin

• Derma(t)- : skin

• Ecchym(o)- : pouring out

• Eczem- : eruption or to boil over

• Ex- : out of or away from

• Exfoli- : to strip off

• Follic- : small bag or sac

• -genic : production or formation

• Granul- : small grain or granule

• Hyper- : having excess

• -ia : condition or state

• -iasis : medical condition

• -ical : related to

• -igo : condition or state

• Indur- : hardened

• -itis : inflammation

• Kel- : crab claw

• Kerat- : hard tissue

• Lent- : freckle

• Lip- : fat

• -ma : result of a product

• Melan- : black or dark

• Melas- : black or dark

• Nev- : birthmark or mole

• -oid : similarity

• -oma : tumor

• -opsy : view or sight

• -ose : condition

• -osis : condition or state

• Pigment- : paint or dye

• Psor- : itch or itching

• Ros- : rose

• Sclero- : hard or dense

• Sub- : under

• -therapy : treatment

• Top- : place or location

• Urtic- : nettle

• Xero- : dry

Vocabulary

• Terminology [Root] : Definition

• Abscess [ab-s-cess] : a collection of pus

• Acne : spots or points on the skin

• Adipose [adip-ose] : tissue made of fat cells

• Alopecia [alopec-ia] : condition of hair loss

• Atopic dermatitis [atop-ic derma-t-itis] : inflammation due to allergies

• Biopsy [bio-opsy] : obtaining tissue for examination

• Carcinoma [carcin-oma] : cancer that originates in epithelial cells

• Cellulitis [cellul-itis] : inflammation of deeper layers of skin

• Comedogenic [comedo-genic] : substances that can cause blackheads or clog pores

• Cryotherapy [cryo-therapy] : using cold temperature to destroy abnormal tissue

• Dermabrasion [derm-abrasion] : removal of the outer layers of skin

• Dermatitis [dermat-itis] : inflammation of the skin

• Dermatophyte [derma-to-phyte] : fungi that can infect and grow on skin, hair and nails

• Ecchymosis [ecchym-osis] : bruise caused by leakage of blood into surrounding tissues

• Eczema [eczem-a] : patches of dry, red, itchy, and inflamed skin

• Erythema : redness of skin caused by dilation and congestion of capillaries

• Excoriation [ex-cori-ation] : scratching the skin resulting in damage

• Exfoliate [exfoli-ate] : removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface

• Follicle [follic-le] : small cavity, sac or structure in the body

• Gangrene : death or decay of body tissue

• Granuloma [granul-oma] : localized area of inflammation due to granulation tissue

• Hives : red, raised, itchy welts on the skin

• Hyperpigmentation [hyper-pigment-ation] : darkening of certain areas of the skin

• Induration [indur-ation] : hardening or thickening of tissue

• Keloid [kel-oid] : scar due to abnormal wound healing

• Keratosis [kerat-osis] : excessive growth of keratin, a tough protein

• Lentigo [lent-igo] : skin lesion, characterized by flat, brown or black spots on the skin

• Lipoma [lip-oma] : tumor made of adipose tissue

• Melanoma [melan-oma] : skin cancer developed from melanocytes

• Melasma [melas-ma] : skin condition characterized by dark, discolored patches on the skin

• Nevus [nev-us] : mole

• Psoriasis [psor-iasis] : autoimmune disorder characterized by rapid and excessive skin cell production

• Pustules : small, inflamed, pus-filled lesions that develop on the skin

• Rosacea [ros-acea] : condition characterized by facial redness

• Scleroderma [sclero-derm-oma] : abnormal thickening and hardening of the skin

• Skin graft : healthy skin tissue is transplanted

• Subcutaneous [sub-cutaneous] : layer of tissue directly beneath the skin

• Tinea : ringworm

• Topical [top-ical] : medication applied directly to the skin

• Ulcer : localized defect on the surface layer of tissue

• Urticaria [urtic-aria] : hives

• Vitiligo : depigmented patches on the skin

• Wart : benign growth on the skin

• Wheals : hives

• Xerosis [xero-osis] : dry skin

Idioms/Slangs

Baby-soft - very soft and smooth skin

• ex. After moisturizing for weeks, Sarah’s face felt baby-soft.

Bare faced - someone who is not wearing makeup or cosmetic products on their face

• ex. The patient went bare faced so the doctor could examine her skin.

Pimple - inflamed elevation caused by blocked follicles or pores

• ex. Joe has a lot of pimples because he does not wash his face.

Popping pimples - extracting or squeezing pimples

• ex. The doctor warned her not to pop her pimples!

Skin tag - small benign growths found where skin folds

• ex. THe patient wanted to remove the skin tag during her next dermatology visit.

Sun spot - darkened patches of skin caused by sun exposure

• ex. Make sure to wear sunscreen to prevent sun spots!

Zit - inflamed elevation caused by blocked follicles or pores

• ex. She tried to cover the zit on her forehead with some makeup.