Guttate Psoriasis Glossary of Terms

1. Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Slideshow
2. Psoriasis Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
3. How Much Is Psoriasis Affecting Your Life?

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Allergic reaction: The hypersensitive response of the immune system of an allergic indiv...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Chickenpox: A highly infectious viral disease also known medically as varicella -- in many...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Cutaneous: Related to the skin.

Dermatologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems...

Dermatology: 1. The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Erythromycin: Erythromycin is a common antibiotic for treating bacterial infection. Sold...

Exacerbation: A worsening. In medicine, exacerbation may refer to an increase in the sever...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Guttate psoriasis: A type of psoriasis characterized by red, scaly plaques of inflamed ski...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Nail: In medicine, there are two types of nails. One is just a plain old metal nail used t...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Penicillin: The most famous of all antibiotics, named for the fungal mold Penicillium n...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Phototherapy: Treatment with light. For example, a newborn with jaundice may be put under ...

Plaque: 1. An semi-hardened accumulation of substances from fluids that bathe an a...

Plaque psoriasis: The most common form of psoriasis -- about 80% of people with psoriasis ...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Psoralen: Any of a number of drugs and other substances containing chemicals that react wi...

Psoriasis: A reddish, scaly rash often located over the surfaces of the elbows, knees, sca...

PUVA: PUVA stands for psoralen (P) and ultraviolet A (UVA) therapy in which the patient is...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Respiratory system: The organs that are involved in breathing, including the nose, throat,...

Roseola: Roseola is a childhood illness caused by virus infection characterized by high fe...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Strep: Very commonly used shortened form of Streptococcus, a very common and import...

Strep throat: Strep throat is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called streptococc...

Sunburn: Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that develops in response to exposure to u...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tonsillectomy: The surgical removal of both 'tonsils.

Tonsillitis: Inflammation of one or both tonsils, typically as a result of infection by a ...

Tonsils: Small masses of lymphoid tissue at the back and on both sides of the throat.

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Ultraviolet A: One of the three types of invisible light rays (together with ultraviolet ...

Ultraviolet B: One of the three types of invisible light rays (together with ultraviolet ...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...