medical terms: colors

(some) Medical Terms referring to color

from Ancient Latin and Ancient Greek

Leuko = whiteMelan = black

Cyno / Cyna = bluexantho =yellow

LeukoFrom Ancient Greek word

meaning WHITE

leukocortical

• Relating to the white matter of the brain

leukophobia

• Pathological fear of or aversion to the color white.

leukocyte• A white blood cell.

leukemia• A type of malignancy affecting the white and

red blood cells or blood-forming tissues.

Melan / Melano = Black

melanoma

• black tumor of the skin.• a tumor arising from the melanocytic system

of the skin and other organs. When used alone, the term refers to malignant melanoma.

melanoderm An obsolete term for a person with dark skin.

Melasma • It is a common adult onset condition which causes lighter skin to

turn dark brown or a greyish pigmentation, primarily on the face. It is called melisma, originating from the Greek word for black. It can affect both men and women of any race, however it is more prevalent in women with darker skin who live in and enjoy sunny climates.

melanoleukoderma

• mottled appearance of the skin of the neck and adjacent regions, a rare manifestation of syphilis.

• [melano- + leukos, white, + derma, skin]

• Mottled skin

melanophore• A dermal pigment cell that does not secrete its pigment granules but

participates in rapid color changes by intracellular aggregation and dispersal of melanosomes; it is well developed in fish, amphibians, and reptiles, but absent in humans.

• [melano- + . phoros, bearing]

Cynano From Ancient Greek

meaning BLUE

cyan/ cyno = blue• cyanosis A blue discoloration of the skin

due to the circulation of blood low in oxygen.

cyanopathy

• A disease in which the surface of the body turns blue, usually arising from a malformation of the heart, which causes an imperfect arterialization of the blood.

Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist in various

forms.

Cyano- is from a Latinized form of Greek kyanos "dark blue." It was so named because it first had been obtained by heating the dye pigment powder known as Prussian blue.

xanth/ xantho = yellow

xanthoma : yellow tumor• a papule, nodule, or plaque in the

skin due to lipid deposits; it is usually yellow, but may be brown, reddish, or cream colored.

• The formation of xanthomas may indicate an underlying disease, usually related to abnormal metabolism of lipids, including cholesterol.

• Abnormally high levels of blood lipids may be found in diabetes mellitus in diseases of the liver, kidney, and thyroid gland, and in several hereditary metabolic diseases.

Legs of a person homozygous for familial hypercholesterolemia, showing multiple xanthomas.

From Mueller and Young, 2001.

Xanthodermic

• Having yellowish skin

Xanthochromia

• The occurrence of patches of yellow colour in the skin, resembling xanthoma, but without the nodules or plates.