xeroderma pigmentosum

[pig-muhn-toh-suhm]

noun

Pathology.

1. a rare inherited disease characterized by sensitivity to ultraviolet light, exposure resulting in lesions and tumors of the skin and eyes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of xeroderma pigmentosum¹

1880–85; < New Latin: pigmented xeroderma; pigment, -ose ¹

Example Sentences

"The fact that CS proteins have additional functions is noteworthy. This discovery could help to explain the pathological differences between xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome," says Stingele.

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Figure 1 | Evidence of defective DNA repair in cells from people with xeroderma pigmentosum.

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For instance, some people are born with xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare, incurable genetic disorder in which the skin cannot repair the damage caused by ultraviolet light, leaving them vulnerable to cancer when they are children.

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The couple, who are Navajo, had two children with a severe form of xeroderma pigmentosum, or X.P., a genetic disorder, and then met other Navajo parents whose children had it as well.

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People with a rare inherited disorder called xeroderma pigmentosum have extreme sensitivity to the sun and must avoid exposure at all times.

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