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Medical Term	Description
acne	A common inflammation of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
actinic keratosis	Pre-cancerous patch of thick, scaly, or crusty skin secondary to extensive sun exposure
albinism	Genetic disorders causing the skin, hair, or eyes to have little or no color.
aloe	The dried juice of aloe plant leaves. Used to treat minor wounds, burns and skin irritations.
alopecia	A disorder in which the immune system attacks hair follicles in the scalp.
birthmark	A benign skin blemish present at birth.
blister	Visible accumulations of watery fluid within or beneath the epidermis.
boil	A tender, inflamed area of skin that contains pus.
bruise	A contusion.
bulla	A fluid-filled blister with a diameter over 5 mm.
capillary hemangioma	A common benign tumors of infancy caused by an abnormal buildup of blood vessels under the skin. Also called a 'strawberry mark'.
carbuncle	A skin infection that often involves a group of hair follicles. The infected material forms a lump, which occurs deep in the skin and may contain pus.
cellulitis	A common skin infection caused by bacteria. It affects the middle layer of the skin (dermis) and the tissues below. S
chloasma	A condition in which brown patches appear on the face. Can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy or from sun exposure.
cicatrix	A scar left after the healing of a wound.
comedo	A blackhead.
contusion	Injury caused by a blow to the body but that does not break the skin. A bruise. Characterized by swelling, pain and discoloration.
cutane/o	skin
dander	Fine, dry scales from the scalp.
dandruff	Excessive shedding of dry scaly material from the scalp.
debridement	A procedure used to remove dead tissue and contaminated substances from a wound, by soaking or excising.
deodorant	A substance that represses or masks odors.
derm/o	skin
derma-	skin
dermat/o	skin
dermatitis	Inflammation of the skin. May be caused by allergic reaction, drugs, infection or sun exposure.
diaper rash	Dermatitis of the buttocks and thighs due to contact with urine or feces.
diaphoresis	Profuse sweating that is artificially induced.
dysplastic nevi	Unusual, benign moles that may resemble melanoma.
ecchymosis	Discolored skin due to subcutaneous bleeding larger than 1cm. Commonly called a bruise.
eczema	Inflammation of the skin. Multiple causes.
epidermis	The superficial avascular layers of the skin,
epitheli/o	epithelium
epithelium	layers of cells that line hollow organs and glands. It is also those cells that make up the outer surface of the body
erythema	Redness of the skin that results from capillary congestion.
erythroderma	An intense and usually widespread reddening of the skin.
eschar/o	scab
exanthem	A widespread rash that is usually accompanied by symptoms that include fever, malaise and headache.
exfoliative dermatitis	A widespread scaling of the skin, often with itching (pruritus), skin redness (erythroderma), and hair loss.
follicul/o	follicle (small cavity)
folliculitis	An infection in the hair follicles.
furuncles	A boil, which are bacterial or fungal infections of hair follicles.
granuloma	A clump of cells that forms when the immune system fights harmful substance but cannot remove it from the body. Often foreign bodies stimulate these cells.
hair	A threadlike specialized epidermal structure developing from a papilla sunk in the dermis.
hematoma	An abnormal collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. A bruise.
hidr/o	sweat
hirsutism	Excessive hairiness in women, usually caused by hormonal imbalance.
ichthyosis	A family of skin disorders characterized by dry, thickened skin.
impetigo	A contagious skin condition common in children, caused by streptococcus, staphylococcus.
intraductal papilloma	Benign tumors that grow within the breast ducts
keloid	An overgrowth of scar tissue that develops around a wound
koilonychia	A disease of the fingernails, where they become thin and concave.
lip/o	fat, lipid
lipedema	A chronic disease that occurs mostly in females. It is characterized by bilateral, symmetrical fatty tissue excess, mainly in the legs.
lipoma	A noncancerous growth of fatty tissue cells. Occurs over area of past trauma.
macule	Small flat skin spots on the skin.
malignant melanoma	The most dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanomas are usually brown or black, but can appear pink, tan, or even white.
melan/o	black, dark
myc/o	fungus
necrotizing fasciitis	A rare but serious infection caused by bacteria. It destroys skin, fat and tissue covering muscles.
onych/o	fingernail, toenail
onychocryptosis	An ingrown toenail.
onychomycosis	A fungal infection of the nails.
pachy-	thick
papul/o	papule, pimple
papule	A solid raised lesion that has distinct borders and is less than 1 cm in diameter.
paronychia	An infection of the skin around a fingernail or toenail.
pediculosis	Head lice.
petechiae	Tiny flat round red spots under the skin surface caused by intradermal hemorrhage. Spots do NOT blanch with pressure.
pil/o	hair
pruritus	Itch.
psoriasis	A skin disease that causes itchy patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales on the scalp and flexor joint surfaces.
purpura	Blood spots on the skin that are purple-colored, between 4-10 mm resembling bruising.
purulent	Pertaining to pus.
py/o	pus
rash	A temporary eruption of spots on the skin.
rhytid/o	wrinkle
rhytidectomy	A facelift.
rosacea	A common, chronic skin condition characterized by facial redness and often small, red pus-filled bumps. Also known as "Adult Acne".
scabies	Itchy skin caused by a tiny burrowing mite. Symptoms worse at night.
scar	A permanent mark remaining after a wound heals.
scleroderma	An autoimmune, chronic disease that affects the body by hardening connective tissue.
seborrhea	A common skin problem that causes a red, itchy rash and white scales. On the scalp, it is called dandruff.
skin	The tough, supple, outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is the largest organ of the body and is composed of the dermis and the epidermis.
squam/o	scaly
squamous cell carcinoma	Most squamous cell cancers occur on skin that is regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation. It is the second most common type of cancer in the United States.
sunburn	An injury to the skin due to excessive sun exposure, causing erythema, tenderness, and sometimes blistering.
systemic lupus erythematosus	An autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
tinea	A fungal skin infection, including ringworm, athlete's foot and jock itch.
trich/o	hair
ungu/o	nail
urticaria	Hives, which are welts on the skin that often itch
verrucae	Plantar warts that commonly occur on the soles of the feet or around the toe area.
vitiligo	A chronic disease that causes white patches develop on the skin.
wart	Benign epidermal growth.
wheal	A small swelling on the skin, as from an insect bite, that usually itches
xer/o	dry
xeroderma	An inherited condition characterized by an extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet rays from sunlight.

Authors and Reviewers

Authored by Dr. Barbara A. Erickson
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022