Immunodermatology

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Immunodermatology

Immunodermatology (pronounced: im·​mu·​no·​der·​ma·​tol·​o·​gy) is a branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders characterized by defective responses of the body's immune system.

Etymology

The term "Immunodermatology" is derived from three words: "Immuno" referring to the immune system, "derma" meaning skin, and "ology" which denotes the study of a particular field.

Related Terms

  • Dermatology: The branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases.
  • Immunology: The branch of medicine and biology concerned with immunity.
  • Autoimmune diseases: Diseases in which the body's immune system attacks healthy cells.
  • Allergy: A hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system.
  • Psoriasis: A chronic skin condition caused by an overactive immune system.
  • Eczema: A condition where patches of skin become inflamed, itchy, red, cracked, and rough.
  • Lupus: An autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs.

Overview

Immunodermatology studies skin as an organ of immunity in health and disease. Several areas have special attention, such as photo-immunology (effects of UV light on skin defense), inflammatory diseases such as Hidradenitis suppurativa, allergic contact dermatitis and atopic eczema, presumably autoimmune skin diseases such as vitiligo and psoriasis, and finally the immunology of microbial skin diseases such as retrovirus infections and leprosy. New therapies in development for the immunomodulation of common immunological skin diseases include biologicals aimed at neutralizing TNF-alfa and chemokine receptor inhibitors.

See Also

External links

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