Nail 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?

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Antifungal: A medication that limits or prevents the growth of yeasts and other fungal org...

Antifungal medication: A drug used to treat fungal infections.

Antimetabolite: A drug that is similar enough to a natural chemical to participate in a no...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Beau lines: See: Beau's lines.

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Calcipotriene: A synthetic form of vitamin D3 that can be applied to the skin to treat pso...

Calcitriol: The active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol is formed in the kidneys or made in t...

Capillaries: Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxyge...

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

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cutaneous: Related to the skin.

Dermal: Pertaining to the skin. From the Greek word derma for 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 ...

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

Fingernail: A fingernail is produced by living skin cells in the finger. A fingernail cons...

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Fungus: A single-celled or multicellular organism. Fungi can be true pathogens (such as hi...

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

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

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 ...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Lunula: 1. The crescent-shaped area at the base of a fingernail or toenail. 2./...

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

Nail care: Care of the fingernails and toenails. Many nail problems are due to poor nail c...

Ointment: An oil-based preparation that is applied to the skin. Whereas an ointment has an...

Onycholysis: Loosening of a nail from the nail bed, usually starting at the border of the ...

Onychomycosis: Fungus infection of the nail bed under the fingernails or toenails. Onychom...

Paronychia: Inflammation of the folds of tissue surrounding the nail due to infection or i...

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

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

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...

Psoriatic arthritis: Joint inflammation that is associated with psoriasis. Psoriatic arthr...

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

Sibling: A brother or sister.

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Systemic therapy: Treatment that reaches cells throughout the body by traveling through th...

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

Toenail: A toenail is produced by living skin cells in the toe. A toenail consists of seve...

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

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is retinol. Carotene compounds (found, for example, in egg yolk, butt...

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...