Directory:Ask the Doctors
- Androgen:
- A male sex hormone found in both males and females.
- Anti-androgen:
- A drug that slows down the production of androgens.
- Antibiotic:
- A drug that kills bacteria.
- Appendectomy:
- Surgical removal of the appendix.
- Appendix:
- The worm-shaped pouch near the beginning of the large intestine.
- Comedo:
- A hard plug that develops in the pores of the skin composed of sebum and dead skin cells. The mildest form of acne.
- Comedolytic:
- Drugs that break up comedos and open clogged pores.
- Computed tomography (CT) scan:
- A procedure by which X rays are directed at a patient's body from various angles and the set of photographs thus obtained assembled by a computer program.
- Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan:
- Another name for a computed tomography (CT) scan.
- Isotretinoin:
- A drug that decreases sebum production and dries up acne pimples.
- Laparoscopy:
- A procedure in which a tube with a small light and viewing device is inserted through a small incision near the navel, allowing a surgeon to look directly into the patient's abdomen.
- Laparotomy:
- A surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to view the inside of the abdominal cavity.
- Peritonitis:
- Inflammation of the membranes that line the abdominal wall.
- Sebum:
- An oily material produced by sebaceous glands that keeps the skin moist.
- Tretinoin:
- A drug that increases the rate at which skin cells are formed and die.