Definition

1. Noun:
   • A condition characterized by an excess of carotene in the bloodstream: Carotenemia is a medical state where the level of carotene, a pigment found in plants, is abnormally high in the blood.
   • Causes skin discoloration: This excess can lead to a harmless change in skin color, typically turning it a pale yellow or orange-red hue.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor diagnosed the child's yellowish skin tone as carotenemia, likely from eating too many carrots.
  • Carotenemia is often mistaken for jaundice, but it is a benign condition.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical context: The term is used specifically in medical diagnostics to describe a symptom, not a disease itself.
  • The differential diagnosis ruled out liver issues and confirmed simple carotenemia.

Variants and Related Words

• Carotenodermia (n): An alternative medical term for the skin manifestation of carotenemia.
  • Carotenodermia describes the yellowing of the skin seen in carotenemia.
• Hypercarotenemia (n): A more technical synonym emphasizing the "excess" (hyper-) state.
  • Hypercarotenemia is the precise term for elevated blood carotene levels.

Synonyms

• Hypercarotenemia: Excess carotene in the blood.
• Xanthoderma (in a broad sense): Yellowish skin discoloration, though this term has other causes.

Notes on Meaning

• Key Distinction: Carotenemia is a benign, reversible condition primarily linked to dietary intake of carotene-rich foods (e.g., carrots, squash, sweet potatoes). It is crucially different from jaundice, which involves bilirubin and indicates potential liver problems.

Noun

1. excess carotene in the blood stream; can cause the skin to turn a pale yellow or red color