Integumentary System: Diagnostic Terms

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

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

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

• Includes:
• - first-degree
• - second-degree
• - third-degree

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

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

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

an acute inflammation of subcutaneous tissue resulting from a bacterial invasion through a break in the skin

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

• Common types:
• - atopic dermatitis
• - contact dermititis
• - seborrheic dermatitis

a chronic skin inflammation characterized by the appernce of inflamed, swollen papules and vesicles that crust and scale, with severe itching and burning; mostly in infants

an inflammation of the skin resulting from contact with a substance to which one is allergic, or one that is a known skin irritant

redness of the skin covered by a yellow, oily, itchy scale most commonly at the hairline, forehead, and around the nose, ears, or eyelashes

any disorder of the skin

eruption of the skin caused by a viral disease

• Includes:
• - rubella
• - rubeola
• - varicella

reddish; German measles

reddish; 14-day measles

a tiny spot; chickenpox

to boil out; a skin condition characterized by the appearance of inflamed, swollen papules and vesicles that crust and scale, often with sensations of itching and burning

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

• Includes:
• - carbuncle
• - abscess

a skin infection consisting of clusters of furuncles

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

an eating sore; death of tissue associated with a loss of blood supply resulting from trauma or an inflammatory or infectious process

• Seen in complications of:
• - frostbite
• - severe burns
• - conditions that affect circulation

transient viral vesicles that infect the facial area, especially the mouth and nose

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

a viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves, aka shingles

a skin condition caused by a gene defect that results in dry, thick, scaly skin

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

thickened areas of epidermis

• Includes:
• - actinic keratoses
• - solar keratoses
• - seborrheic keratoses

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

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

benign wart-like lesions

a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of various parts of the body

• Includes
• - cutaneous lupus
• - systemic lupus erythematosus

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

a more severe form of lupus involving the skin, joints, and often the vital organs

skin cancer

• Includes
• - squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
• - basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
• - malignant melanoma
• - Kaposi sarcoma

a malignant tumor of squamous epithelium

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

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

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

inflammation of the fingernail or toenail

inflammation of the nail fold

infestation with lice that causes itching and dermatitis

• Includes:
• - pediculosis capitis
• - pediculosis pubis

head lice

lice that generally infect the pubic region, but hair of the axilla, eyebrows, lashes, beard, or other hairy body surfaces may also be involved, aka crabs

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

a contagious disease caused by a parasite (mite) that invades the skin, causing an intense itch

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

a group of fungal skin diseases identified by the body part that is affected

• Includes:
• - tinea corporis (body; ringworm)
• - tinea pedis (foot, athelete's foot)

a condition caused by the destruction of melanin that results in the appearance of white patches on the skin