Melanoderma

Increased skin pigmentation, darkening of the skin. This is directly due to an increased amount of melanin pigment in the skin when there is increased production of melanin by the melanocytes (the cells that make melanin) or if there is a rise in the number of melanocytes. Melanoderma comes from the Greek "melas", black + "derma", skin = black skin.

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1. An abnormal darkening of the skin by deposition of excess melanin. 2. Hyperpigmentation of the skin by melanin or deposition of dark substances such as silver, iron, and drug derivatives. [melano- + G. derma, skin]

- m. cachecticorum m. of the cachectic, occurring in certain chronic diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

- parasitic m. excoriations and m. caused by scratching the bites of the body louse, Pediculus corporis. SYN: vagabond's disease, vagrant's disease.

- racial m. the normally dark skin of members of some nonwhite races.

- senile m. cutaneous pigmentation occurring in the aged. SYN: melasma universale.

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mel·a·no·der·ma .mel-ə-nō-'dər-mə, mə-.lan- n abnormally intense pigmentation of the skin

mel·a·no·der·mic -'dər-mik adj

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mel·a·no·der·ma (mel″ə-no-durґmə) [melano- + derma] abnormally increased melanin in the skin, with hyperpigmented patches; it may be due either to increased production by the melanocytes that are normally present or to increased absolute numbers of melanocytes.