xeroderma

American  

[zeer-uh-dur-muh] / ˌzɪər əˈdɜr mə /

noun

Pathology.

1. a disease in which the skin becomes dry, hard, and scaly.

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xeroderma British  

/ ˌzɪərəʊˈdɜːmə, ˌzɪərəʊdəˈmætɪk, ˌzɪərəʊˈdɜːmɪə /

noun

1. any abnormal dryness of the skin as the result of diminished secretions from the sweat or sebaceous glands

2. another name for ichthyosis

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Other Word Forms

• xerodermatic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of xeroderma

First recorded in 1840–50; xero- + -derma

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.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2024

If a mutation takes place in germ cells, the mutation will be passed on to the next generation, as in the case of hemophilia and xeroderma pigmentosa.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

When individuals are exposed to UV, pyrimidine dimers, especially those of thymine, are formed; people with xeroderma pigmentosa are not able to repair the damage.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

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.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 19, 2016

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.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2012