Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition characterized by purplish patches on the skin and mucous membranes due to bleeding underneath: Peliosis is a term for a state of subcutaneous hemorrhage, often appearing as multiple, irregular purplish spots.
   • Any of several blood diseases causing subcutaneous bleeding: In medical contexts, peliosis refers to a pathological condition involving spontaneous bleeding into the skin or organs.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient presented with widespread peliosis, a sign of the underlying vascular disorder.
  • A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of bacillary peliosis.
  • Peliosis hepatis is a specific condition involving blood-filled cavities in the liver.

Advanced Usage

• The term is most commonly encountered in specific medical compound terms. Its use as a standalone noun outside of these compounds is rare in general language.
• "Peliosis rheumatica": An older term for a condition involving subcutaneous bleeding associated with certain systemic diseases.
• "Bacillary peliosis": A condition caused by bacterial infection, leading to vascular lesions in the liver and skin.

Variants and Related Words

• Peliosis hepatis (noun phrase): A vascular condition of the liver characterized by blood-filled cystic spaces.
• Purpura (noun): A broader medical term for purple-colored spots and patches on the skin, mucosa, and organs resulting from small blood vessel bleeding. Peliosis is considered a form of purpura.

Synonyms

• Purpura
• Subcutaneous hemorrhage
• Ecchymosis (specifically refers to a larger, bruise-like area of bleeding under the skin)

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Medical Meaning: The core meaning of "peliosis" is a pathological state of bleeding into the skin or internal organs, forming distinctive lesions. It is not a single disease but a descriptive term for a finding seen in various disorders.
• Specific vs. General: While the general definition is "subcutaneous bleeding," in modern medical parlance, "peliosis" is almost exclusively used within specific compound terms like "peliosis hepatis." The more common general term for subcutaneous bleeding is "purpura."

Noun

1. any of several blood diseases causing subcutaneous bleeding