Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

dermatopathy
Any disease of the skin. Also
known as dermopathy.
dermatophytic onychomycosis
See 
ony-
chomycosis.
dermis
The lower or inner layer of the two main
layers of cells that make up the skin (the other
being the epidermis). See also 
epidermis; skin.
dermoid
See 
ovarian teratoma.
depression, manic
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dermoid cyst of the ovary
See 
ovarian ter-
atoma.
dermopathy
See 
dermatopathy.
descending aorta
The part of the aorta that runs
down through the chest and the abdomen. The
descending aorta starts after the arch of the aorta
and ends by splitting into the common iliac arteries
that go down toward the thighs. The descending
aorta is subdivided into the thoracic aorta and the
abdominal aorta. See also 
aorta.
desensitization, allergy
See 
allergy desensiti-
zation.
designer drug
A drug, typically a psychoactive
drug, whose structure is a modification of a preex-
isting drug in order to bypass existing drug laws and
regulations for the purpose of marketing. Designer
drugs are dangerous, as their toxic effects and phar-
macology have not been properly evaluated. They are
outlawed by the US Controlled Substances Act. An
example of a designer drug is the street drug
“ecstasy,” which is an analogue of methampheta-
mine.
designer estrogen
An engineered drug that pos-
sesses some, but not all, of the actions of estrogen.
Also known as selective estrogen-receptor modula-
tor (SERM). For example, raloxifene (brand name:
Evista) is classified as a designer estrogen because,
like estrogen, it prevents bone loss and lowers
serum cholesterol; however, it does not stimulate
the endometrial lining of the uterus.
desmoid tumor
A benign soft-tissue tumor that
does not spread to other parts of the body. Desmoid
tumors occur most often in young adults, and they
usually involve the limbs or trunk, but they can also
arise in the abdomen or thorax. Desmoid tumors
are very difficult to remove because they adhere
tenaciously to surrounding structures and organs.
Surgery is the treatment, but recurrence after sur-
gery is common. Radiation therapy and limited
chemotherapy have also been used. A desmoid
tumor is also called aggressive fibromatosis because
it is locally aggressive and fibrous, like scar tissue.