Dermatology Abbreviations
52 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Abbreviations for skin cancers, inflammatory skin diseases, hair disorders, blistering diseases, severe drug reactions, skin tests, topical and light-based treatments, and cosmetic procedures, as used in dermatology clinic notes, pathology reports and sunscreen labels. Several are easily confused with common meanings elsewhere in medicine, for example AD (atopic dermatitis vs Alzheimer's disease), HS (hidradenitis suppurativa vs at bedtime) and BP (bullous pemphigoid vs blood pressure). Severity scores such as PASI and EASI are standard endpoints in clinical trials of new skin drugs.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AA | Alopecia areata | Autoimmune hair loss that causes smooth, round bald patches on the scalp, beard or body, sometimes progressing to total scalp (totalis) or body (universalis) hair loss. |
| ABCDE | Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving (melanoma warning signs) | Mnemonic for features suggesting a mole may be melanoma: Asymmetry, irregular Border, uneven Color, Diameter larger than 6 mm and Evolving size, shape or color. |
| ACD | Allergic contact dermatitis | Delayed (type IV) allergic skin reaction that develops one to several days after contact with a substance to which a person has become sensitized, such as nickel… |
| AD | Atopic dermatitis | Chronic, itchy inflammatory skin disease, the most common form of eczema, usually starting in infancy or childhood with dry skin and red patches on the cheeks, skin… |
| AGA | Androgenetic alopecia | The most common form of hair loss, known as male- or female-pattern hair loss, caused by genetically determined sensitivity of hair follicles to androgens. |
| AGEP | Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis | Drug reaction that causes sudden fever and dozens to hundreds of tiny sterile pustules on red, swollen skin, beginning in skin folds, usually within one to two days of… |
| AK | Actinic keratosis | Rough, scaly, sandpaper-like patch on chronically sun-exposed skin, such as the face, scalp, ears and backs of the hands, made of abnormal keratinocytes. |
| BCC | Basal cell carcinoma | The most common cancer in people with fair skin, arising from basal cells of the epidermis, usually on sun-exposed areas such as the face. |
| BP | Bullous pemphigoid | Autoimmune blistering disease, mostly of older adults, causing large, tense, itchy blisters on the trunk and limbs, often preceded by itchy hive-like plaques. |
| CSU | Chronic spontaneous urticaria | Hives, with or without swelling (angioedema), occurring on most days for more than six weeks without an identifiable external trigger. |
| CTCL | Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma | Group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas that begin in the skin, the most common being mycosis fungoides, which progresses slowly from flat patches to plaques and tumors over… |
| DH | Dermatitis herpetiformis | Intensely itchy rash of grouped small blisters and bumps on the elbows, knees, buttocks and scalp, which is the skin manifestation of celiac disease. |
| DIF | Direct immunofluorescence | Laboratory technique that uses fluorescent antibodies on a skin biopsy to detect antibody and complement deposits, essential for diagnosing autoimmune blistering… |
| DLE | Discoid lupus erythematosus | The most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus, producing scaly, coin-shaped plaques on the face, ears and scalp that heal with scarring, pigment change and permanent… |
| DLQI | Dermatology Life Quality Index | Ten-question patient questionnaire measuring how much a skin condition has affected daily life over the past week, including symptoms, embarrassment, work… |
| DRESS | Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms | Severe drug hypersensitivity that begins two to eight weeks after starting a medication, with fever, widespread rash, facial swelling, enlarged lymph nodes, high… |
| EASI | Eczema Area and Severity Index | Severity score for atopic dermatitis that rates redness, thickness, scratching and lichenification across four body regions, weighted by area involved, for a total of 0… |
| ED&C | Electrodesiccation and curettage | Office treatment for small, low-risk basal cell carcinomas and SCC in situ in which the tumor is scraped away with a curette and the base is cauterized, typically… |
| EM | Erythema migrans | Expanding red rash, at least 5 cm across, that appears at the site of a tick bite 3 to 30 days later and is the hallmark of early Lyme disease. |
| GA | Granuloma annulare | Benign skin condition producing rings of small, smooth, skin-colored or reddish bumps, typically on the backs of the hands and feet of children and young adults. |
| HA | Hyaluronic acid (filler) | Natural sugar molecule in skin that holds water; in cosmetic dermatology, cross-linked HA gels are injected as dermal fillers to restore volume in lips, cheeks and folds. |
| HS | Hidradenitis suppurativa | Chronic inflammatory skin disease causing recurring painful nodules, abscesses and draining tunnels in the armpits, groin, buttocks and under the breasts, often healing… |
| ICD | Irritant contact dermatitis | Skin inflammation caused directly by damage from irritants such as water, soaps, detergents, solvents and friction, without any allergy. |
| IPL | Intense pulsed light | Cosmetic treatment using a flashlamp that emits a broad spectrum of visible and infrared light, rather than a single laser wavelength, to target pigment and blood… |
| KOH | Potassium hydroxide (preparation) | Quick office test in which skin scrapings, nail clippings or hair are placed on a slide with potassium hydroxide, which dissolves keratin and reveals fungal hyphae or… |
| KP | Keratosis pilaris | Very common harmless condition producing small rough bumps, sometimes red, around hair follicles on the upper arms, thighs and cheeks, often described as "chicken skin". |
| LP | Lichen planus | Inflammatory skin and mucous membrane disease that produces itchy, flat-topped, purple, polygonal papules, often on the wrists and ankles, and lacy white patches inside… |
| LS | Lichen sclerosus | Chronic inflammatory condition that causes thin, white, crinkled patches, itching and scarring, most often in the genital and anal skin of postmenopausal women and… |
| MCC | Merkel cell carcinoma | Rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer that appears as a fast-growing, painless, red or violet nodule, usually on sun-exposed skin of older or immunosuppressed… |
| MIS | Melanoma in situ | Melanoma confined to the epidermis that has not invaded the deeper dermis, so it cannot spread and is cured by complete excision with about 0.5–1 cm margins. |
| MM | Malignant melanoma | Cancer of the pigment-producing melanocytes, the deadliest common skin cancer because it can spread early to lymph nodes and distant organs. |
| MMS | Mohs micrographic surgery | Skin cancer surgery in which the tumor is removed layer by layer and each layer's entire margin is examined under the microscope while the patient waits, until no… |
| NB-UVB | Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy | Light treatment using a narrow band of ultraviolet B at about 311 nanometers, given two or three times a week in a dermatology office or with a home unit. |
| NMSC | Nonmelanoma skin cancer | Collective term for skin cancers other than melanoma, mainly basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, together the most common cancers in the US. |
| PASI | Psoriasis Area and Severity Index | Standard measure of psoriasis severity that combines redness, thickness and scaling with the percentage of skin involved in four body regions, producing a score from 0… |
| PDT | Photodynamic therapy | Treatment that applies a light-sensitizing drug such as aminolevulinic acid to the skin and then activates it with blue or red light, destroying abnormal cells. |
| PIH | Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation | Darkening of the skin that follows inflammation or injury, such as acne, eczema, burns or procedures, caused by excess melanin production. |
| PR | Pityriasis rosea | Self-limited rash that starts with a single larger scaly oval "herald patch", followed one to two weeks later by many smaller oval patches on the trunk aligned along… |
| PsO | Psoriasis | Chronic immune-mediated disease in which skin cells build up rapidly to form thick, red, silvery-scaled plaques, typically on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. |
| PUVA | Psoralen plus ultraviolet A | Phototherapy combining a light-sensitizing psoralen drug, taken by mouth or applied to the skin, with ultraviolet A exposure. |
| PV | Pemphigus vulgaris | Rare autoimmune blistering disease in which antibodies against desmogleins break the connections between skin cells, causing fragile blisters that rupture easily… |
| SCC | Squamous cell carcinoma | Cancer arising from squamous cells; in dermatology it refers to cutaneous SCC, the second most common skin cancer, which presents as a scaly, crusted or ulcerated… |
| SD | Seborrheic dermatitis | Common chronic rash with redness and greasy yellow scale on oily areas such as the scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose, ears and chest. |
| SJS | Stevens-Johnson syndrome | Severe, life-threatening skin and mucous membrane reaction, usually to a medication, in which the epidermis dies and detaches over less than 10 percent of the body… |
| SK | Seborrheic keratosis | Very common benign skin growth that looks waxy, warty and "stuck on", ranging from tan to black, typically appearing after age 40 on the trunk, face and limbs. |
| SPF | Sun protection factor | Number on sunscreen labels that measures protection against UVB, the rays that cause sunburn. |
| SSSS | Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome | Blistering illness, mainly in children under five, caused by exfoliative toxins from Staphylococcus aureus that split the superficial epidermis. |
| TCA | Trichloroacetic acid | Acid used in dermatology for chemical peels, from superficial peels at low concentrations to medium-depth peels at about 35 percent, and for treating warts and acne… |
| TCI | Topical calcineurin inhibitors | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory creams and ointments, tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, used for atopic dermatitis and other conditions on delicate skin such as the face… |
| TCS | Topical corticosteroids | Anti-inflammatory steroid creams, ointments, lotions and solutions, the mainstay of treatment for eczema, psoriasis, contact dermatitis and many other skin diseases. |
| TEN | Toxic epidermal necrolysis | The most severe form of the SJS spectrum, with epidermal detachment over more than 30 percent of the body surface, causing burn-like skin loss, mucosal involvement and… |
| UPF | Ultraviolet protection factor | Rating for sun-protective clothing and fabrics indicating how much ultraviolet radiation passes through. |
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