Most dermatologic diseases respond well to topical drug therapy. There are mild cases of skin diseases like acne, psoriasis, and poison ivy that can be successfully treated with topical agents.

Acne drugs consist of various creams, lotions, and gels to apply topically. These drugs act to cleanse away oil and dead skin, to close the pores, to inhibit the growth of skin bacteria and kill skin bacteria.

Some prescription antibiotics used topically to treat more serious cases of acne vulgaris include:

•Cleocin T, clindamycin
•Meclan, meclocyline
•Topicycline or tetracycline

Severe cystic acne that is unresponsive to antibiotic treatment may be treated with topical tretinoin (Retin-a), which is a form of vitamin A.

Acne rosacea is an adult form of acne not caused by excessive oil but exacerbated by heat, stress, and skin irritation. It is treated with metronidazole (Metro-Gel).

Various topical agents are used to treat psoriasis and include coal tar lotions, gels, and shampoos that cleanse away dead skin and decrease itching. Trade name products include:

•Balnetar
•Denorex
•Estar
•Tegrin
•Zetar

Contact dermatitis, poison ivy, insect bites, seborrhea and eczema are treated with the use of topical corticosteroids both over-the-counter and prescription. Some common over-the-counter and prescription generic and trade name topical corticosteroid agents are: amcinonide (Cyclocort), betamethasone (Diprosone, Uticort, Valisone), clocortolone (Cloderm). The endings –sone, -olone, and –onide are common to some generic corticosteroids.

Common laboratory tests and surgical procedures found in dermatology dictation include:

•Biopsy, excisional, which is a complete excision or removal of a skin lesion with some adjacent, normal-appearing tissue also removed for comparison

•Biopsy, incisional, is partial removal of a lesion by making an incision into the lesion and removing a section of it as well as some adjacent, normal-appearing tissue for comparison.

•Biopsy, punch is removal of one section of a lesion using a sharp instrument known as a punch

•Bx is the abbreviation for biopsy

•Intradermal test is the injection into the intradermal layer of the skin of a chemical or other type of substance known to produce an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals.

•KOH test: KOH (potassium hydroxide) and methylene blue dye are applied to scrapings from the skin to detect under microscope the presence of a fungal infection.

•Skin scrapings are removal of a thin layer of skin cells by lightly scraping the skin with a scalpel and placing the cells on a slide for examination under the microscope after they have been stained.

The medical transcriptionist transcribing medical dictation in a dermatology office or hospital will encounter many of these terms.

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© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved