Understanding Medical Terminology

[bunnie]

Hi everyone, I have been wanting to do this for ages, because these "medical terms" or names for all our conditions and diseases, actually describe exactly what we have.
Throughout most of my posts I stress the fact that the condition or disease being what it is, is described in its name, and how we are often "put off" by these long medical terms. They appear difficult, but in fact they can be quite fun, in that once you have learned the basic word parts, the presentation /cause of the condition, medication, procedure etc. becomes clear. Take for eg. the medical term "pericarditis" prefix-peri=around/outer ; root word-cardi=heart; suffix-itis=inflammation, so we have inflammation of the outer layer of the heart! and another,.... hypoglycaemia= hypo=deficicient/below...glyc=sugar... aemia =blood , gives us a condition caused by Low blood sugar!
Please note I will only give a very few examples, there are literally thousands of medical terms obviously.

Medical terminology are words and phrases which describe  procedures, medications, instruments, anatomy etc. used in medicine, and is in fact the language of medicine, most of which is derived from Latin and Greek.
Medical terminology like all other languages has structure and rules, but these in fact are quite simple.
Medical terms are a combination of smaller word parts and it is this structural concept which is important to understand. A medical term contains....
1) Root words
2) prefixes
3) suffixes
4) combining vowels
Rules.
A root word
Medical terms can have one or more root words. However they always have at least one. The root word is the part of the word that is the prime meaning of the medical term.  A root word can stand on its own, for eg: Tonsil.  Add  the suffix "ectomy" meaning " surgical removal " , we have tonsilectomy
The suffix ectomy, requires the root word tonsil to confer relevance. Prefixes and suffixes cannot stand alone. Medical terms can have, but are not required to have, a prefix and /or a suffix.

A little quiz to see how many of these "root words" you can get right!
http://ec.hku.hk/mt/themouth.htm
http://ec.hku.hk/mt/trunks.htm

Prefixes and suffixes
Prefixes are split into 3 groups.
1)position
2)description
3)Number and Measurement.
Position.... a few examples are.....
near=ad
against= anti 
upon / after /or in addition =epi
Left=laevo
Right=dextro
through=dia, or per, or trans.
Description .....a few examples are.....
bent=ankyl
fast=tachy
slow=brady
orth=normal
blue=cyan
red= erythr
yellow= cirrih
green=chlor
black=melan
White =Leuk
Grey=glauc
Number and Measurementa few examples are.....
Many=multi, hyper, or poly
few or under = hypo, oligo
equal=iso
none=" a" or "in".

Suffixes
A suffix is at the end of a word and forms a new word. In medical terminology, a suffix gives the word's definition. The 3 groups are....
Disease or a change in the bodya few examples are.....
blood=aemia
inflammation=itis
pain=algia
discharge=rrhea
emisis= vomiting
Surgery and incisions a few examples are.....
incision=tomy
removal=ectomy
making an opening=stomy
to crush=Tripsy
to stitch or suture=rrhapy
to form =plasty
Other suffixes determine the adjectives and nouns.

Combining vowels join together the first three in the first main list above, and are used in order that the word is easier to pronounce, or so that the 3 word parts join easily together.  The most commonly used vowel is "O", but others are also used. A combining vowel can be used...
between two root words,
a root word and a suffix,
but never between a prefix and a root word.
It is amazing how many of these word parts can be learned in a short period of time. When combined they form thousands of complex medical terms.
 

[BlistersOnMyFingers]

and thanks!!!

[CalamityJane]

Bunnie, thank you! I will be revisiting this post! Going to take the quiz!

Jane
PS -- not a bad score for a novice! Interesting Bunnie. Thanks.

[bunnie]

here's a few more root words..  try this
http://ec.hku.hk/mt/cardiovascular.htm
blephar =eyelid
bucc=cheek
arthr=joint
Bunnie
PS Part of my own condition= Epidermolysis
Epi=over , upon (on top)
derm=skin
olysis= breakdown
So there is a complete breakdown of the top layer of skin.                                     

[CalamityJane]

Hi Bunnie, thanks for those links. Haven't tried them yet, but you aided in one of my problems today.

Darn, I can't find it, but you alluded somewhere to some clear fluid called ?. I have this on the knuckle closest to my nail, middle finger. I have osteo there, and another lump grew on it that looked that a blood blister, then another beside it, making two.

As I was deboning chicken about a month ago, I deeply cut right over one of these 'blisters'. Bled like mad, and since heeling over, it weeps clear fluid if I'm not careful. I will ask my doc on Tuesday about it. It's a strange looking thing now, and difficult trying not to knock it, or cause a break in the skin. The skin didn't grow back over it property after being slashed .

Jane

Bunnie, finally found it

the weepy bits , (clear fluid) is serous fluid. You get this where there is inflammation and trauma. Matt is right, you should have this tested for a fungal infection. People who have skin problems are highly susceptible to fungal infections.

That's what I was looking for -- and the description above is perfect, inflammation and trauma (cutting it). It's that serous fluid.

I knew I'd seen that, made sense of my finger joint problem! Jane

[itchychick]

Like that link bunnie!  I got 100%, but of course, speaking Greek is a big help, but also all the anatomy I studied when training to teach Pilates is helpful too.

[Blue Bird]

  Bunnie, you are such an intelligent and helpful person. 

I took Medical Terminology in college, I thought I was going into medicine or nursing.
I got an A, and here is how I did it. Go to the library and listen to the terms on tape or CD, it works! I hope this helps other students who have to take this course, too. It will really drive the terms into your brain and you will remember them, honest.

Most colleges have the medical terms on tape or CD, at the college library. Usually they are listed by chapter, right from your class syllabus.

Go to the library, the day of the test, sometime before the class. Put on the headphones and listen to the terms being pronounced while staring at the list.
Then, repeat the tape ( or the CD) and listen to it again. Do it three times, if possible.

 I found that I could memorize that whole list for the test if I listened to it first on the headphones at the library. Perhaps this means I am an auditory learner, but I mixed it with staring at the words, too, so it could be a mix of visual and auditory learning, which will include a lot of students who have different ways of learning.

 I truly think that I got an A in the class, and retained a lot of the medical terminology because of listening to the words repeated over and over while wearing headphones. Try it and see if it works for you.

 When you are a student and have a big test on exact terminology for a subject,
sometimes just reading the terms is not the best way for total recall of those terms.
 I believe that hearing the terms worked perfectly for me. I felt that I could almost hear the little taped voice saying the words and giving the definitions when I stared at the test on all those new terms. I was amazed at how I remembered everything and was able to give the correct answers on all those tests. It's worth trying, really.
 
I hope this study tip helps someone out there do really well on their tests.
I know it worked for me, and I had to try it in order to prove that this technique really does work. At least, it worked for me. Good luck to all who have to memorize all of the medical terminology terms for their career. Bunnie did it, I did it, and so can you.
 

  Thanks again, Bunnie for helping everyone out. You're great.

[bunnie]

Very true blue-Sky! When I was totally blind the only thing I could actually do, in order to endure the endless, unchanging, monotony , of being in a "black box", was to listen to Talking Books". I discovered over a period of time, that my memory retention was far more astute, and that I "absorbed" more by listening to something, than ever I did from visually reading something.
People tend to think that the other senses automatically become heightened when you are blind. This of course is rubbish. A person who has never had sight learns to use and be aware of their other senses to enable  the use of them to some extent, as a replacement. Take for example the sense of touch to read.
Feeling a quick rush of wind as one walks along a street would make one  aware of passing an alley way for eg. From a  very young age this learning to adaptability becomes the norm, but in an older person years have passed using the senses for that which they are intended, and it is virtually impossible at a later stage of life to adapt the use of those established senses to act as a replacement.
That is why there is such a big market for audio learning tapes Blue-Sky, because some people learn so much better by listening to something.
Jane, Glad you could associate the symptom to my explanation!
Itchy, well done! as you say, a basic knowledge of Latin and Greek helps!
I remember one year in Spain, my son got a patch on his chin and I instinctively knew it was ringworm (tinea corpus)but of course wanted to be sure.
We went to a hospital clinic and 3 "doctors" (I put that in inverted commas because to give them that title was a joke really!) They said my son must have fallen, bumped his chin , and because of the heat it would not heal! I was so mad I insisted we saw someone else, so my husband took us to a private GP. I could not speak very good Spanish at that time, but told him I thought it was (and used the latin terminology) "tinea corpus." He said "exactamente!"
Bunnie

[bunnie]

Some more quizzes! I find they are a good way to learn these word parts.
http://ec.hku.hk/mt/quizzes.htm
Bunnie

[bunnie]

Further definitions of medical terms.
"Alopecia" = "fox mange".
The word "alopecia" comes from the Greek "alopex" for "fox." Foxes are less furry when afflicted with a skin disease (the "mange") which causes them to lose their hair. When a fancier word for "baldness" was sought, the mangy fox supplied it -- "alopecia" or, if you wish, "fox-mange" -- not a very positive image to associate with baldness!

Definitions of Dermatological Medical Terms
Dermatologists always sound erudite. This is because they use an abundance of technical words. They also never seem lost for even the rarest of esoteric diagnoses but if you analyse what they say, they are often simply describing the rash in Latin. Sometimes the words are of Greek derivation such as ichthyosis that means scales like a fish. Either Latin or Greek may be used in terminology but not both together as mixing the classics is regarded as bad form.
The skin is affected by a vast number of insults and diseases including genetic and metabolic abnormalities as well as infections and yet there are a limited number of ways in which it can respond. Dermatological history and examination involves making an assessment of the condition, including describing it, and so simply understanding dermatological terminology will facilitate diagnosis. An understanding of terminology is also important to ascertain that we all understand the same from any term.

Basic terminology
A lesion is any single area of altered skin. It may be solitary or multiple.
A rash is a widespread eruption of lesions.
Dermatosis simply means skin disease.
Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. It is not a final diagnosis.
                                         ____________________
Structure of skin
The skin has three layers called epidermis, dermis and deep subcutaneous tissue with a basement membrane between the epidermis and the dermis.

Epidermis
The epidermis has an outer layer of cells called keratinocytes, which produce keratin. The epidermis also contains pigment cells called melanocytes, which produce melanin, Langerhans cells, which are part of the immune system, and Merkel cells, which have a sensory function.

The basal layer is the columnar cells at the base of the epidermis from which new cells are continuously produced. Melanocytes are normally scattered through this layer.
Squamous cells are produced as the keratinocytes mature and move upwards towards the surface of the skin. They become flat in shape, or squamous and are also called spinous or prickle cells. Langherhans cells are found in this layer.
The granular layer contains flattened cells filled with dark granules containing keratohyaline protein.
The horny layer is stacks of dead cells without nuclei and they make up the dry or keratinised stratum corneum. The top layer of cells loosens and falls off.
Desmosomes are the structures that produce adherence of keratinocytes, and they bind them together.

Epidermal appendages
These include:
Eccrine glands, which produce sweat
Apocrine glands that are scent glands found in armpits and groins
Pilosebaceous structures containing hair and sebaceous glands
Nails
                                  _________________________
Dermis
The dermis is composed of connective tissue that supports the epidermis, providing nutrients and protection. The papillary dermis  is the upper portion beneath the epidermis and the lower portion is the reticular dermis.

Collagen is protein fibres arranged in bundles to give strength to the skin.
Elastin is a protein that allows the skin to stretch
Ground substance is gel containing hyaluronic acid and other polysaccharides.
Fibroblasts  produce collagen, elastin and ground substance.
The dermis also contains sensory and autonomic nerves, blood vessels as arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins, and an extensive network of lymphatics.
Erector pili muscles are attached to hair follicles.
There may be a cellular infiltration of immune cells around blood vessels in infection, allergy and trauma.
Subcutaneous tissue
This is also called subcutis, and is composed of adipose cells or lipocytes. These are surrounded by connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves.
                                         _________________________________
Distribution of lesions
This is important as the distribution of lesions is often characteristic and hence of diagnostic importance.

Acral means affecting the distal portions of limbs (hand, foot) and head (ears, nose).
Blaschko's lines means that lesions follow a segmental pattern described by Blaschko and this is thought to suggest somatic mosaicism.
Dermatomal means corresponding with nerve root distribution as with shingles.
Flexural means occurring in the flexor surfaces such as the antecubital fossa and back of the knee whilst extensor is occurring on the extensor surfaces such as over the tip of the elbow and usually just below the patella.
Herpetiform means grouped umbilicated vesicles, as seen in Herpes simplex and Herpes zoster infections.
Seborrhoeic refers to the areas generally affected by seborrhoeic dermatitis, with a tendency to oily skin or seborrhoea. They include the scalp, behind the ears, eyebrows, nasolabial folds,(above the top lip) sternum (breast bone) and interscapular region.(inbetween shoulder blades)
Truncal means affecting the trunk and rarely the limbs.

Shape of lesions
Annular lesions are grouped in a circle
A gyrate rash appears to be whirling in a circle.
A linear lesion, also known as striate, is like a line and often occurs from trauma such as scratching.
Nummular or discoid means round or coin-shaped lesions.
Target lesion, also known as iris lesions, have concentric rings like an archery target
Colour
Erythroderma is when the skin condition affects the whole body or nearly the whole body, which is red all over.
Erythema is red skin due to increased blood supply and it will blanch on pressure. (Turn white when pressed with a finger or instrument)
Purpura is bleeding into the skin. This may be as petechiae (small red, purple or brown spots) or ecchymoses (bruises). Purpura does not blanch with pressure. Diascopy, is the "glass test" that is publicized for meningococcal septicaemia.
Carotenaemia is when excessive circulating beta-carotene results in yellow to orange skin colouration. It is most pronounced on palms and soles and, unlike jaundice, it does not affect the cornea.
Hyperpigmentation may be caused by excess of melanin or haemosiderin deposits that result in skin colour that is darker than normal. Hypopigmentation is loss of normal melanin and results in skin colour that is paler than normal but not completely white.
Leukoderma, also known as achromia, is when the skin is white.
Infarcts are black areas of necrotic tissue due to ischaemia.
Necrotic= (Greek nekros= corpse)The death of living tissue or bone, especially where the blood supply has been interrupted.
ischaemia.=(Greek ischein =to restrain + haima or haemo= blood.)An inadequate flow of blood to a part of the body, caused by blockage or constriction of a blood vessel.

Discrete lesions
A macule is an area of colour change less than 1.5 cm diameter. The surface is smooth.
A papule is a small palpable lesion. The usual definition is that they are less than 0.5 cm diameter, although some authors allow up to 1.5 cm. They are raised above the skin surface, and may be solitary or multiple. Papules may be
Acuminate means pointed
Dome-shaped are hemi-spherical
Filiform are thread-like
Flat-topped
Oval or round
Pedunculated have a stalk
Sessile have no stalk
Umbilicated have a central depression
Verrucous are like warts
A patch is a large area of colour change with a smooth surface.
A nodule is an enlargement of a papule in three dimensions (height, width and length). It is a solid lesion.
A cyst is a papule or nodule that contains fluid and so is fluctuant although it may be tense.
A plaque is a palpable flat lesion greater than 0.5 cm diameter. Most plaques are elevated, but a plaque can also be a thickened area without being visibly raised above the skin surface. They may have well-defined or ill-defined borders. Plaques may be
Annular that are ring shaped
Arcuate are like a half-moon
Polygonal have varied non-geometric shapes
Polymorphic are of varied shape
Serpiginous are in the shape of a snake or serpent
Poikilodermatous have a varigated appearance, usually mixed pallor, telangiectasia and pigmentation
Telangiectasia (tel-AN-gee-ek-TAY-zha)=The permanent enlargement of blood vessels, causing redness in the skin or mucous membranes.  (see also misc. terms)
Vesicles are small fluid-filled blisters less than 0.5cm diameter. They may be single or multiple.
A pustule is a purulent vesicle. It is filled with neutrophils, and may be white, or yellow. Not all pustules are infected.
purulentbelonging or relating to, or full of, pus. (Latin purulentus, =from pus,- puris pus.)
A bulla is a large fluid-filled blister. It may be a single compartment or multiloculated.
An abscess is a localised collection of pus.
A wheal is an oedematous papule or plaque caused by swelling in the dermis. Wheals often indicates urticaria.
urticaria.=An allergic skin reaction with raised red or white itchy patches. Also called nettle rash or hives.

Epidermal changes
Scaling or hyperkeratosis is an increase in the dead cells on the surface of the skin called the stratum corneum. Descriptive terms for scale include:
Desquamation is skin coming off in scales
Psoriasiform is large white or silver flakes as in psoriasis
Pityriasiform is a branny powdery scale
Lichenoid is when scale is tightly adherent to the surface of the skin
Keratotic is horny scale with plenty of keratin
Exfoliation is peeling off of skin
Maceration is moist peeling skin
Verrucous means resembling a wart

Secondary changes
Lichenification is caused by chronic rubbing, which results in palpably thickened skin with increased skin markings and lichenoid scale. It occurs in chronic atopic eczema and lichen simplex.
Crust occurs when plasma exudes through an eroded epidermis. It is rough on the surface and is yellow or brown in colour. Bloody crust appears red, purple or black.
Dystrophy refers to degeneration or abnormal formation of the skin. It is often used to refer to nail diseases.
An excoriation is a scratch mark. It may be linear or a picked scratch called prurigo.
An ulcer is full thickness loss of epidermis or epithelium. It may be covered with a dark-coloured crust called an eschar.
Erosion is caused by loss of the surface of a skin lesion. It is a shallow moist or crusted lesion. These terms are not confined to the skin but may be used to differentiate gastric erosions and ulcers.
A fissure is a thin crack within the epidermis or epithelium, and is due to excessive dryness.
Fungating describes a large, usually malignant tumour, that is erupting like a mushroom or fungus.
Granulation tissue is a mass of new capillaries and fibrous tissue in a healing wound.
A granuloma is a histological term referring to chronic inflammation in which there are several types of inflammatory cells including giant cells. Granulomas form in response to foreign bodies, certain infections including tuberculosis and leprosy and with inflammatory skin diseases including granuloma annulare, granuloma faciale and sarcoidosis.
Hypertrophy is when some component of the skin such as a scar is enlarged or has grown excessively. The opposite is atrophy or thinned skin.

Nails
Onychodystrophy is any abnormality of nails.
Nails may show pitting, including thimble pitting as in psoriasis when they have numerous tiny indentations like a thimble.
Onychomaedesis is loosening and shedding of nails
Onychogryphosis is an abnormal condition of the nails characterized by marked hypertrophy and increased curvature
Onychoschizia is a condition of the nails marked by lamination in two or more layers and by scaling away in thin flakes
Koilonychia is spoon nails and is a feature of iron deficiency
Clubbing involves increased curvature in both directions. It may be congenital or indicate other diseases.
Subungual means under the nails
Pterygium is a forward growth of the cuticle over the nail. It is also a triangular fleshy mass of thickened conjunctiva at the inner side of the eyeball, covering part of the cornea, and causing a disturbance of vision

Miscellaneous terms
The Koebner phenomenon is when lesions arise in an area of trauma. This is typical of psoriasis and lichen planus.
Dermatographism is the ability to write on skin. It occurs with urticaria. If a firm instrument, like an orange stick, is used to make lines or letters on the skin then shortly after the wheal will form and the pattern of marks will be very obvious.
Nikolsky's Signinvolves the superficial layers of skin slipping free from the lower layers with slight pressure, showing failure of the adhesive process.
Telangiectasia is prominent cutaneous blood vessels, the size of tiny red hairs.
Exanthem is another term for a rash
Excoriation is an area of the skin covered by a crust, or scab, usually caused by scratching.

Instruments used in dermatology
Wood's light produces long wave UVA. It is used for examination for pigmentary changes and fluorescent infections. They are usually fungal infections but not all infections fluoresce.
A dermascope is a small microscope that it used mostly to examine pigmented lesions and to differentiate benign ones from malignant melanoma.
Bunnie

[anthropositor]

My emphasis in describing something unfamiliar to the reader or listener is on clarity and minimizing the likelihood of being misunderstood.

The High Priests of medicine use language to mystify.  Sure, there is a system to it.  Sure, it can be learned by people with the motivation to do it, as Bunny and Blue Sky have done.  But it is very useful to doctors to keep the patient as mystified as possible.  And it is deeply rooted in history.  Prescriptions have always been written in a secret code replete with Latin phrases and mysterious abbreviations.

Lawyers use "legalese" for exactly the same reason.  It impresses the client that he knows his stuff, and gives the client the impression that the notion of representing himself is probably unwise. A plea of "Nolo Contendere" means "I do not plead guilty but agree to the court taking action without further evidence or argument being taken into account."  In practical terms, it is treated pretty much as a guilty plea.

"In Propria Personna" or In Pro Per means that a defendant is prepared to defend himself without an attorney.  How are either of these phrases better than "I'll defend myself"?

My point is, in both medicine and law, language is used in ceremonial ways that benefit the doctor and medical institutions or the lawyer and legal systems, while placing obstacles in the way of clear client understanding.  This is the antithesis (opposite) of promoting understanding.

 

[bunnie]

Actually Anthro I do agree with you, but the thread  was started for information only, not for discussion as to the rights or wrongs in using medical terminology. We have complicated named diseases and conditions, and some may not have realised that the name of their condition describes exactly its presentation,and what it is.
The fact remains that this is "medical language", short words put together but with long meanings. We are not going to change that, therefore that being the case, then at least we can understand some of the terminology, (if not all of it), to help ourselves understand our own conditions, and most of all understand what specialists "mean". It is surprisingly quite easy to learn, we are simply "put off" by the fact that it is Latin or Greek.
Kind regards ,
Bunnie

PS just nipped back to add...

The High Priests of medicine use language to mystify.

I  don't agree with that Anthro. One word in medical terminology describes the whole condition, a reference is made concerning this in a previous post. If you were doing a ward round for eg, and the consultant said "this patient  has epidermolysis," all present would know exactly what that patient had, without lengthy explanations. A student who hadn't a clue what "epidermolysis" is , knows to break the word up....Epi=over , upon (on top)
derm=skin
olysis= breakdown
So.... there is a complete breakdown of the top layer of skin. So if asked by the consultant "what is it?" the answer is there.

[anthropositor]

Everything said in more complex medical jargon can be said more simply.  The fact that the great majority of doctors use such terminology with their patients as well as with their colleagues rather than putting their communications in more understandable terms whenever possible, reinforces my point.  The medical jargon is slowly falling away in the same way that religious jargon has been evolving.  A few centuries ago, the only way Mass was said in a Catholic Service was in Latin.  Congregations in general did not speak or understand Latin.  Many congregations were largely illiterate not only in Latin, but in their own tongue as well; so even the Bible itself was pretty well innaccessible to many believers without the active reading and interpretation by the priest or other literate person.

In the twentieth century the Latin Service was pretty well replaced.  Increased literacy played a role in that change.
The same thing is happenning very slowly in medicine and law as well, in spite of considerable hidden resistance by the practitioners of both professions.

Some medical words and phrases do have components that are very helpful to the initiated in sorting out what the meaning is.  Others do not.  In either case, the everyday language description may be longer, but it is always better from the perspective of the patient, because it is the carrier of the most real information in the most accessible form.

As often as not, applying a long mysterious name to something gives the impression that the medical profession has the thing under some sort of control.  Only when you dig a little deeper you may find that this named thing is something for which the cause is still unknown, and the cure is still unknown as well, or subject to debate.

[Uncle Matt]

If you were doing a ward round for eg, and the consultant said "this patient  has epidermolysis," all present would know exactly what that patient had, without lengthy explanations. A student who hadn't a clue what "epidermolysis" is , knows to break the word up....Epi=over , upon (on top)
derm=skin
olysis= breakdown

There are parallels across the sciences...

Just take a look at Electrolysis - Breakdown by Electricity. Used to separate elements from Ionic compounds.

Look at the latin name for Mercury, hydrargyrum. It splits down to water-silver. Quite descriptive (at least at room temperature)

And we all know how biologists like to classify organisms with latin names.

Matt

[anthropositor]

It is certainly true that the other sciences do the same sort of thing; to show a sharp division between the initiated, the degreed professor, PhD., professional scientist and the uninitiated layperson, the unqualified.

But the distinctions, it seems to me, are most important in medicine and law.  In these two fields, the financial health of the individual in the need of services can be gravely impacted whatever the outcome of the services.

I just spent $1671 for a transmission.  If the new one didn't work, I wouldn't need to pay for it.  In medicine, failed attempts are still paid for.  I'm not making a value judgement on that.  I'm just saying that the consumer has little to say about costs except to accept them or to forego or be denied the needed services.

[bunnie]

Regardless of any discussion, The thread was made for reference only, so that people could use it and understand their condition, procedures etc. We could debate the right and wrongs of the use of Latin/Greek terminology forever and a day, it will not change things, it is the way things are in the "Here and Now". If it changes ...great! (although I doubt it ever will). Meanwhile.....some of the references are  on here. Now in order to bring the thread back on track....

Definitions of skin terms (in alphabetical order)
Abrasion – Scraping of the skin.
Absorption – Getting substance from the skin.
Achromia – Leukoderma, white skin.
Acne – Skin problem that occurs at young age.
Acute – Short and severe, but not chronic.
Allergen – Substance that created allergic reaction.
Alopacia – Loss of hair.
Anhidrosis – Inability to sweat.
Anomaly – Abnormal, deviation.
Atrophy – Thin, wrinkled skin where you can see vessels.
Benign – Not life-threatening, not cancer.
Biopsy – Removal of tissue for medical examination.
Blister – Vesicle. Elevated lesion containing fluid.
Boil – Skin infection.
Bruise – Contusion. Change of skin color due to accumulation of blood under it.
Bulla – Larger vesicle/blister.
Callus – Skin thickening.
Canker – Sore inside the mouth or skin.
Carbuncle – Infected, hard skin. 
Caustic – Chemicals that burn.
Cauterize – Burning of skin to eliminate discomforting substance.
Cellulitis – Skin infection.
Chilblain – Redness of skin around ear, fingers, and toes.
Collagen – Primary protein of skin.
Cutaneous – Related to skin.
Cyst – Skin cavity containing liquid or semi-solid material.
Eruption – Rash. Large area of skin disease.
Fissure – Skin crack.
Flexural – Relating to body folds.
Follicular – Lesion in hair follicles.
Lesion – Small area of skin altered due to disease.
Leukoderma – White skin.
Macule – Flat, nonpalpable change on skin.
Nodule – Palpable, solid lesion.
Papilloma – Small benign tumor.
Papule – Small area of skin elevated due to disease.
Patch – Large area of color change on skin.
Plaque – Elevated, palpable skin disease covering large area.
Pustule – Blister containing pus.
Rash – Eruption. Large area of skin disease.
Scaling – Large number of dead cells on skin surface.
Ulcer – Loss of skin appearing as a hole.
Vesicle – Blister. Elevated lesion containing fluid.
Weal – Papule or plaque as a result of dermis swelling.
Wheal – Temporary papule or plaque that disappears in few hours.

[Blue Bird]

 Bunny: If I may add one thing to the definition of Lesion, would  you agree to this,
since I am interested in your thoughts on this.

Definition of Lesion
Lesion: an abnormal change in structure of an organ or part due to injury or disease ; especially : one that is circumscribed and well defined.

Therefore, a lesion is not only a change due to disease, but it could be due to injury.
( such as a cut )
__________________________________________
Definition of Lesion

Lesion: Pronounced "lee-sion" with the emphasis on the "lee," a lesion can be almost any abnormality involving any tissue or organ due to any disease or any injury.

There are, not surprisingly, many types of lesions. There are also a number of different ways of classifying and naming lesions. Lesions can, for instance, be categorized according to whether or not they are caused by cancer. A benign lesion is non-cancerous whereas a malignant lesion is cancerous. For example, a biopsy of a skin lesion may prove it to be benign or malignant, or evolving into a malignant lesion (called a premalignant lesion).

Lesions can be defined according to the patterns they form. For example, a bull's-eye or target lesion is one that looks like the bull's eye on a target. (In an X-ray of the duodenum, a bull's-eye lesion can represent a tumor with an ulcer (crater) in the center.) A coin lesion is a round shadow resembling a coin on a chest X-ray. It, too, is usually due to a tumor.

Lesions can be named for persons who first described them. For instance, a Ghon lesion (or Ghon focus) is the scar-like "signature" in the lungs of adults left by tuberculosis in childhood.

Lesions can also be categorized by their size. A gross lesion is one that can be seen with the naked eye. A microscopic or histologic lesion requires the magnification of a microscope to be seen. The basis of sickle cell disease is a molecular lesion, one that is not even visible with a microscope but is only detectable on the molecular (protein or DNA) level.

Location is another basis for naming lesions. In neurology, a central lesion involves the brain or spinal cord, i.e., the central nervous system. A peripheral lesion involves the nerves away from the spinal cord and does not involve the central nervous system.

There is a virtually endless assortment of lesions in medicine: primary lesions, secondary lesions, impaction lesions, indiscriminate lesions, irritative lesions, etc. Many are named for people including the Armanni-Ebstein lesion, a Bankart lesion, a Blumenthal lesion, and so on.

The word "lesion" comes from the Latin noun "laesio" meaning "an attack or injury" which is related in Latin to the verb "laedere" = "to hurt, strike or wound."

-------------------------------------------------
PS> Bunny I wanted students to focus in on all the possibilities of this term.
Thank you for indulging me. I find medical terminology to be important and also
fascinating. Thanks for all you have done to educate the public.

[anthropositor]

And my perspective is still that the medical profession uses the fancy terminology to mystify the patient and point up the expertise of the practitioner, rather than to impart real and useful information to the patient.

It is true that a few patients ultimately take an interest in terminology and exert considerable effort to make sense of it.  But most patients just develop the sense that what is happenning to them is just too complicated for ordinary mortals.  They lay their fate entirely in the hands of doctors precisely because of the extra layers of complication put in place by the profession.  They put their full faith in the doctors rather than attempting to achieve a fuller understanding of what is actually going wrong with them. 

The worst of it is that they can not tell when the doctor, with all his fancy language, is really just guessing about what might be going on in the disorder, and trying remedies somewhat tentatively and experimentally.

I do not say that people should not become more conversant with medical terminology if they are able to do so.  But to call a cell an "Islet of Langerhans" rather than simply call it an insulin producing cell, just provides confusion to the patient who may not have any idea what a Langerhans is (the original discoverer of the cell).

And the expert patient who goes to all the extra effort to learn the system involved in the terminology is justifiably proud of doing so.  Having done so, that patient will be inclined to staunchly defend the whole system, rather than point out or consider the defects.

[bunnie]

Thats great blue-sky! I have tried to keep it as simple as possible, but you are certainly correct to point that out. This is the type of input I expected.
Dear Anthro

But most patients just develop the sense that what is happenning to them is just too complicated for ordinary mortals.  They lay their fate entirely in the hands of doctors precisely because of the extra layers of complication put in place by the profession.  They put their full faith in the doctors rather than attempting to achieve a fuller understanding of what is actually going wrong with them.
The worst of it is that they can not tell when the doctor, with all his fancy language, is really just guessing about what might be going on in the disorder, and trying remedies somewhat tentatively and experimentally.

Precisely Anthro! Hence me starting this thread.
I agree with all you say, but it will not change Anthro despite anything we might say, so let us try, and encourage people to learn a little about it. It can actually be quite fun! As I said before, another thread could be started if you want to discuss the rights and wrongs of the medical proffession , or it's terminology, but this thread is intended to reference information on the meanings of medical terminology.

And the expert patient  who goes to all the extra effort to learn the system involved in the terminology is justifiably proud of doing so.  Having done so, that patient will be inclined to staunchly defend the whole system, rather than point out or consider the defects.

I won't be provoked nor insulted by that Anthro , but please don't hypothesise or underestimate as to what "that patient" might be "inclined to defend", you cannot possibly know!
Incidently,

Islet of Langerhans" an insulin producing cell

In the pancreas yes, and is just one type of Langerhans cells.
In the skinLangerhans cells are dendritic cells  Dendritic cells are antigen presenting cells, they
suss out and latch on to invaders, decode it ,then present the antigen for recognition by the antibody to demobilise it or destroy it. They were thought only to alert the immune system to pathogens, but now are understood to modulate  the skin’s reaction to infection and inflammation. They are the "sentinels" and  "Modulating"  cells of the immune system. They regulate the immune response to infection etc.
Langerhans cells may function generally to prevent excessive responses in the skin, but failure of this mechanism could result in chronic inflammatory skin conditions like lupus and psoriasis, and could also have future implications for skin transplantation, autoimmune diseases and the immune system’s ability to prevent skin cancer.
Bunnie

[anthropositor]

I certainly was not attempting to insult, nor to provoke anything but additional thought.  And when the name Islets of Langerhans was originally coined, it only applied to the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.  (It is also worthwhile to note that the pancreas is involved in a variety of other functions than the production of insulin.  Most of us are not particularly conscious of that.) 

If there is some good reason that the dendritic immunity modulating cells should also bear the name Langerhans, I would be interested to hear it.  From my perspective, only additional ambiguity and a potential for confusion has been achieved.

I certainly do not discourage those who wish to navigate the depths of medical terminology from doing so.  Many of us are capable of learning the useful and systematic elements of the language.  But most of us are put off from doing so by the extra layers of built in complexity.

The ideal of linguistic art is to communicate clearly and unambiguously, not to confuse and mystify and impress.

And as to things not changing in this regard, I can't agree.  Even though these habits of language seem very deeply rooted in the medical community and they do seem very resistant to change, I have seen the changes occurring for the past forty years.

The average people today may not know as much as we would like about the functions of their bodies, but compared to those of previous generations, the health knowledge and understanding of the typical individual has grown by leaps and bounds.

My perspective is not off topic here.  It applies a different and useful method of approaching the real meanings behind the terminology, and doing a little bit to reduce the ceremonial and isolating qualities of the jargon. 

   

[bunnie]

I certainly was not attempting to insult, nor to provoke anything

Never the less Anthro,  the reference to myself was all too obvious. This thread is no longer what I had intended it to be, (which was solely to list the explanations of the terminology, which could be used as a reference on this forum, such as the autoimmune articles thread is.) I am sure it is perfectly obvious to everyone that we would prefer it if the practioners in medicine would speak in modern terms, but they do not, and I personally do not think it will ever happen. This thread, instead of being a list explaining medical terminology, has now sidetracked into a discussion on the rights and wrongs of medical terminology, and now Langerhan cells. No personal perspective or additional thought was required or needed for this thread, it was a list for information only, to use as a reference, and anyone could add to it with more terminologies, or definitions, in like manner, such as blue-sky kindly did.

I have seen the changes occurring for the past forty years.

Medical Terminology always has been explained to the patient in "layman's terms". No medical practioner would change this form of terminology in the medical field, when consulting with colleagues, writing articles, addressing seminars, corresponding on referals, or lecturing. I doubt therefore if you have seen changes regarding this over the last 40 years. We are I believe of a similar age? I have worked in the medical proffession and my friends and family still do, they haven't noticed any change in terminology over the past 40 years.

Quite frankly, as far as i am concerned I intend not to say more on this "debate".  I was dealing with the here and now, it was not open for debate or argument but simply for reference as I explained earlier, I therefore ask you to respect that. If you insist on having a debate about the rights and wrongs of using medical terminology, then please start your own thread, as I suggested in a previous post.

My (bunnie's note).....In the skin, Langerhan cells are immature dendritic cells.

And when the name Islets of Langerhans was originally coined, it only applied to the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.

That is not so regarding naming cells Langerhan cells. The Islets of Langerhan alone refer to the pancreas. The other named Langerhans cells of the skin were discovered first, in 1868, in fact a year before the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, which he discovered in 1869!

If there is some good reason that the dendritic immunity modulating cells should also bear the name Langerhans, I would be interested to hear it.  From my perspective, only additional ambiguity and a potential for confusion has been achieved.

here is your answer  to both quotes above... It is in fact the other way round. Langerhan discovered the cells in the skin first, (the immature dendritic cell, Antigen presenting cell) , these are not "islet cells" (which secrete a hormone-insulin in the pancreas,) these were discovered a year later!
 

Langerhans cells - Skin cells concerned with the immune response and which sometimes contain Langerhans granules. In 1868, Langerhans used the technique taught to him by Julius Friedrich Cohnheim to stain a sample of human skin with gold chloride and identified the cells which now bear his name. From their appearance, Langerhans believed they were nerve cells. However they are a form of dendritic cells.
Islets of Langerhans - Pancreatic cells which produce insulin. Langerhans discovered these cells during his studies for his doctorate at the Berlin Pathological Institute in 1869.     

see also...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islets_of_Langerhans


Definitions of LANGERHANS CELLS on the Web:

Dendritic cells in the skin that pick up an antigen and transport it to the lymph nodes. See also Antigen; Dendritic Cells; Lymph Nodes.
www.aidsinfobbs.org/letters/l.html

Langerhans cells are dendritic cells that present antigens to the immune system. They are found in the prickle cell layer of the epidermis. Epidermis
dermnetnz.org/glossary.html

Dendritic, antigen-presenting cells that contains characteristic racket-shaped granules, known as birbeck granules, and which expressing the CD1a antigen. Principally found in the stratified squamous epithelium.
www.nature.com/nrmicro/journal/v1/n1/glossary/nrmicro729_glossary.html

Epidermal dendritic cell that functions as an antigen-presenting cell (APC) during an immune response.
www.nutrabio.com/Definitions/definitions_l.htm

http://dermnetnz.org/dermal-infiltrative/langerhans.html

Langerhans cells are immune cells that are normally found within the epidermis where they act as antigen-presenting cells in an early warning system fighting foreign material such as bacteria. They may migrate to the local lymph glands but usually return to the skin.

http://www.mattek.com/pages/products/dendritic_cells

Dendritic cells (DC) play a key role in the immunological reactions throughout the body. Dendritic cells (DC) and their immature counterparts, Langerhans cells (LC), are highly specialized antigen-presenting cells (APC) located in the skin, mucosa, and lymphoid tissues. DC and LC play a key role in the induction phase of contact allergenicity, and it is likely that these cells can be used to develop in vitro assays for contact sensitization and other immunological reactions of the body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islets_of_Langerhans

It is these cells which are part of the malfunction in autoimmune disease, they are in over production and fail to regulate the inflammation in the abnormal (autoimmune response).

There are posts on the liga thread concerning this too.
Bunnie

[CalamityJane]

Jumping in here w/a comment that stuck out for me --

And my perspective is still that the medical profession uses the fancy terminology to mystify the patient and point up the expertise of the practitioner, rather than to impart real and useful information to the patient.

I don't know about UK and USA, but I vehmently disagree w/that statement from the British Columbia point of view. That hasn't happened to me in years.

Jane

[anthropositor]

Certainly glad to hear it Calamity.  You may well be right on those dates Bunny. 

[bunnie]

I don't know about UK and USA, but I vehmently disagree w/that statement from the British Columbia point of view

So do I Jane, it serves no purpose to mystify the patient, on either part, certainly not here in the UK, and indeed on a more serious level, anything transpiring  from such practise could result in any doctor (or nurse) being struck off the register. I also think that should it be remotely possible that any doctor could think like that, that it could be interperated as being against the Hypocratic Oath.

You may well be right on those dates Bunny.

  Yes, I know that I am!

[anthropositor]

Notice that my previous post was uncharacteristically brief?  I certainly had more to say.  I didn't.  My last comment was not sarcasm.  I granted the probable accuracy of what you said.  That is giving you the point without further discussion. 

My particular original reference was to Islets of Langerhans; pancreatic cells which I became interested in because there is diabetes in my family history, and because I once got a seriously wrong reading at a Health Fair which caused me to go out and buy an $80 meter and test strips.  I had no compelling interest in the other cells Langerhans investigated, and still don't. 

How had the error occurred?  The people at the Health Fair had apparently opened a new bottle of test strips without recalibrating the meter and tested me with with a major error of 150 for a fasting blood sugar reading. 

The readings that I got (after the proper callibration of my own meter and strips) under the same fasting conditions, repeatedly came out between 90 and 95. 

I didn't complain.  I didn't sue anybody.  I'm not mad at the LVN or RN who forgot to callibrate the strips.  As medical mistakes go, this is a small one, and it did only transient harm to my wallet and gave me a scare.   

There is a great gulf of perspective between us in this instance.  I have less and less trust of the medical profession as time goes on.  You have more and more, it seems.  The reasons for my position have been stated to my satisfaction.  They are my particular perspectives based only on my own personal experiences.  My experiences may not be representative at all, but I have over the years, talked to quite a few nurses who were pretty bitter about some of the doctors they worked with, for reasons which seem quite similar to my own.

Your perspective would appear to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from mine.  There are many reasons to applaud doctors and the medical profession and all the great developments that have occurred in recent decades.  Plenty of people do that.  And it IS comforting to put them on a pedestal.  I WANT to find one with whom I can have this comfortable feeling.  And I'm glad for you that you have that sort of faith in yours. 

Perhaps the very next doctor I go see will be just such an admirable person.  I really do hope so.  Perhaps I have just had an unusual spell of bad luck in the ones I have seen in the first two thirds of my life. 

I did have a dentist once who was the epitome of what one could want in a dentist.  I believe I spoke of him by name in glowing terms. 

I have also spoken at considerable length of Dr. Sandik Ruit and his notable achievements.  I even suggested that perhaps he should be considered for a Nobel Prize.  That is hardly doctor bashing.  I have since learned some other interesting things that could muddy the water a bit.  I think perhaps I won't go into that, particularly not here or now.

When I went to the dentist last, I went with every intention of getting the tooth fixed in one way or the other.  The dentist did not line up my options as I asked.  He told me I would be spending $2200+ in two payments, to fix the one emergency problem, and without reference to any other of the things going on in my mouth.  I myself, not a professional, can think of at least three other options, two of which would have been a lot cheaper, and one of which might have cost me another grand or so.  I think of this dentist as a crook.  I have not identified him by name or location.

I went to the ophthalmologist absolutely prepared to put myself in her able hands and have my cataract taken care of surgically.  My perspective changed somewhat DURING the events of that first office visit.  Look at those threads again and see if I was fair with both the dentist and the surgeon.  I don't believe she is a crook.  I believe she is convinced that her fees are perfectly appropriate entitlements for someone of her education and skills.  She would have gotten the job if only there hadn't been those disturbing glitches in the initial visit and the even more disturbing failure to respond to my detailed questions until I cancelled the surgery.  I don't feel good about her services.  She has not been identified by name or location.

As a final comment, I have ever exerted any sort of control over any thread, even if I started the thread and people occasionally cross threaded on it, or said something on it which diverged from my original intended theme.

To my mind, I was talking about medical terminology and the seeming extra barriers that are institutionally put in place that discourage ready understanding.  I doubt that any doctor actually thinks about the barrier at all. 

Now I am content to leave the subject entirely in your able hands, without further input.  And I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about the details of medical language, to pay attention to your succinct and worthwhile exposition of the subject. 

[CalamityJane]

I take your point Anthro. The lesson learned here (for me) is to do my research thoroughly, trust my gut instincts, get another opinion (if felt necessary), and get to know my GP well in a relationship of trust. Change GP's if you are not satisfied.

Jane.

[anthropositor]

That sounds like an excellent game plan to me Jane.

[bunnie]

Adding more info...
Chronic: This important term in medicine comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time.

Condition: The term "condition" has a number of biomedical meanings including the following:
1)An unhealthy state, such as in "this is a progressive condition."
2)A state of fitness, such as "getting into condition."
3)Something that is essential to the occurrence of something else; essentially a "precondition."
4)As a verb: to cause a change in something so that a response that was previously associated with a certain stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus; to condition a person, as in behavioral conditioning.
Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contrast, for example, between blood vessels and other tissue.

[bunnie]

The word IDIOPATHIC
Idioipathic cases of autoimmunity usually occur spontaneously and for no known reason.
They occur of and by SELF
Latin                                                              Greek
idiopathia              =(primary disease) =        idiopatheia
idio=(one's own)                                                   idios = (personal)
                                                +
patheia=(feeling)                                                  pathic= (suffering)

[bunnie]

Onychogriposis
Onik-o-grip-osis  Greek-Onyx =Nail , griposis =curvature. It is also sometimes spelt Onychogryphosis= Onik-o-grif-fosis .
Mycocryptosis My-co-crypt-osis =
myc=fungus; crypt=hidden; osis= abnormal condition (osis means "increased" when used with blood cell word roots)
The word part "Phage" means “a thing that devours,”  ( like Phagocyte or Macrophage)

[Blue Bird]

 I want to commend Bunnie for her intelligence and her thoughtfulness in posting this medical terminology thread for all of those who need to or want to understand the complicated science of it.
 
 I am thrilled to have learned a lot of this in college. I find it highly useful. Here is why:
 
 I have noticed that when I am doing internet research on certain
diseases or on certain organisms, I will inadvertently find myself on a detailed medical site in a different language.
 
 Often I find a particular microscopic depiction of certain organisms on
sites that are in German, Chinese, Russian, Spanish or French.
Thankfully, I have no problem finding the slide I am interested in viewing because the organism has the Latin or Greek name on it. I am very grateful that the medical community world wide utilizes the same medical terminology derived from the Latinor Greek language. It certainly helps a curious researcher, like me, to identify the correct organisms in any language presented, because the Greek or Latin etimology provides universal recognition across the language barriers.
 
 In it's infinite wisdom, the world of medicine and medical technology
uses Latin and Greek as a base languages. It certainly helps medical researchers around the globe communicate precisely and concisely.

[bunnie]

http://www.iatrogenic.org/define.html

Iatros means physician in Greek, and -genic, meaning induced by, is derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of course, they become iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced. Iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a physician.

Or perhaps it is not so obvious. The growing complexity of modern life (and medicine) has promoted the elasticity of language. In common usage, then, iatrogenic disease is now applied to any adverse effect associated with any medical practitioner or treatment. The practitioner need not be a physician, he might be a nurse or a radiology technician, or any one of the scores of differentiated healthcare workers encountered in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, or offices, or for that matter in the ambulance on the way to one of those places. For those who advance the language to the frontier, iatrogenic disease can be caused by practitioners whose association with medicine is negligible or antithetical, such as homeopaths, chiropractors, and psychologists (especially now that they are lobbying for the authority to write drug prescriptions). Or perhaps even Grandma, if she is the one handing out the pills.

Treatment is a term stretched beyond reason. It might refer to something as tangible as surgery or as subtle as a conversation, if the person conducting the conversation is considered a health specialist. (And who isn't?) It might be a potent drug or a placebo. It might be effective or worthless, real or imaginary. While iatrogenic has retained at least a modicum of comprehensibility, treatment has been utterly debased both in word and deed. Therapy is in pretty much the same rundown shape since it was linked to the prefix psycho-.

Because of the intrusion of the Therapeutic State into every cranny of modern life, we have now made iatrogenic illness refer to any adverse reaction caused by anyone thought or claiming to be a health specialist, using any treatment (or lack thereof if the thereof lacking causes the illness) in any setting. With the heavy burden we have loaded onto the word, it is essential for any use of iatrogenic to include clear directions as what the user intends. That way we can distinguish between a person who is dying from an infection obtained from a physician's contaminated hands and a person who sues his doctor for not informing him that skydiving is a dangerous hobby.

Now that we have entered the time of physicians intentionally killing their patients and calling it "physician assisted suicide," iatrogenic takes on a whole new meaning.