Common dermatological terms and their definitions

1. alopecia : hair loss , it may be partial or complete .

2. annular : ring shaped lesions

3. cyst : a soft, raised, encapsulated lesion filled with sesamoid or liquid contents .

4. herpetiform : grouped lesions

5. lichenoid : violaceous to purple, polygonal lesions that resemble those seen in lichen planus

6. milia : small ,firm, white papules filled with keratin

7. morbilliform : generalized , small erythematous macules and/or papules that resemble lesions seen in measles

8. nummular : coin shaped lesions

9. poikiloderma : skin that displays variegated pigmentation ,atrophy and telangiectases .

10. polycyclic : a configuration of skin lesions formed from coalescing rings or incomplete rings

11. pruritis : a sensation that elicits the desire to scratch. Pruritis is often the predominant symptom of inflammatory skin diseases ( example : atopic dermatitis , allergic contact dermatitis ) . it is also commonly associated with xerosis and aged skin . systemic conditions that can be associated with pruritis include chronic renal disease, cholestasis, pregnancy, malignancy, thyroid disease, polycythemia vera and delusions of parasitosis .