Erosion
Erosion (Medicine)
Erosion (pronunciation: /ɪˈroʊʒən/) is a term used in medicine to describe the wearing away or loss of the epithelium, the outer layer of cells that covers the open surfaces of the body.
Etymology
The term 'erosion' is derived from the Latin word 'erosio', which means 'a gnawing away'.
Definition
In medical terms, erosion refers to the superficial damage to a surface (skin or mucous membrane) due to inflammation, trauma, or mechanical disruption. Unlike an ulcer, which extends into deeper layers such as the dermis, an erosion is confined to the epithelium.
Related Terms
- Ulcer: A break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue.
- Epithelium: The thin tissue forming the outer layer of a body's surface and lining the alimentary canal and other hollow structures.
- Dermis: The thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis that forms the true skin, containing blood capillaries, nerve endings, sweat glands, hair follicles, and other structures.
- Inflammation: A localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Erosion
- Wikipedia's article - Erosion
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski