desquamate

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des·qua·mate

(des'kwă-māt),

To shred, peel, or scale off, as the casting off of the epidermis in scales or shreds, or the shedding of the outer layer of any surface.

[L. desquamo, pp. -atus, to scale off, fr. squama, a scale]

desquamate

(dĕs′kwə-māt′)

intr.v. desqua·mated, desqua·mating, desqua·mates

To shed, peel, or come off in scales. Used of skin.

des′qua·ma′tion n.

desquamate

(dĕs′kwă-māt) [L. desquamare, to remove scales]

To shed or scale off the surface epithelium.

References in periodicals archive ?

Because the keratinizing squamous epithelium continues to desquamate and expand, thereby causing erosion of the surrounding structures, the cholesteatoma sac must be removed completely.

Cholesteatoma of the maxillary sinus

case-fatality %) Sepsis 52 (24) 0 Meningitis 102 (48) 1 (1) STSS 61 (28) 38 (62) Total 215 (100) 39 (18) * Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is defined according to the 1996 criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA, which include hypotension (systolic blood pressure [less than or equal to] 90 mm Hg for adults) and multiorgan involvement characterized by [greater than or equal to] 2 of the following: renal impairment, coagulopathy, liver involvement, acute respiratory distress syndrome, generalized erythematous macular rash that may desquamate, soft-tissue necrosis, including necrotizing fasciitis or myositis, or gangrene.

Human Streptococcus suis outbreak, Sichuan, China

Left untreated, the keratin sheets will continue to desquamate into the lumen of the external auditory canal and the mass will continue to enlarge.

Update on cerumen and ceruminolytics

Alpha hydroxy acid desquamates and exfoliates dry skin, while beta hydroxy acid cleanses the follicles of exfoliated skin.