Glossary "W"

WARFARIN (WOR fahr in):
An anticoagulant.

WHEAL (hweel):
A wheal is a rounded or flat-topped, firm elevated lesion that results from edema (swelling) of the dermis. Wheals are often pink with a whitish center. The wheal is the classic lesion of hives.

WHITEHEAD:
Also known as a closed comedone, the sine qua non of acne, a collection of sebum and keratin in persons with acne that plugs the opening of the pilosebaceous unit (pore) but remains deep in the follicular canal under the skin so that it looks like a raised, white bump.

WOOD’S LIGHT:
Hand-held ultraviolet light filtered through nickel-plated glass. Used to help diagnose fungal and bacterial infections and delineate pigmentary disorders.

WART:
Tumor of the skin caused by infection with the human papilloma virus. Firm, flesh colored, dome-shaped, scaly papules or nodules usually appear on the hands and fingers.

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