Dermatomabschnitt

Dermatomabschnitt refers to a specific area of skin that is primarily supplied by a single spinal nerve root. Each spinal nerve root has a sensory component that receives information from a particular region of the skin. This distinct zone of skin innervation is known as a dermatome. Therefore, a dermatomabschnitt, or dermatome, is the area of skin that transmits sensory information to a specific spinal nerve.

The pattern of dermatomes covers the entire body surface. Understanding dermatomes is crucial in clinical neurology for diagnosing conditions that affect the spinal cord or nerve roots. For instance, if a patient experiences numbness or pain in a specific area of skin, a neurologist can often pinpoint the location of the nerve root or spinal cord lesion by identifying the corresponding dermatome.

The arrangement of dermatomes follows a general cephalocaudal (head-to-toe) pattern. For example, the C5 dermatome covers a portion of the shoulder and upper arm, while the L1 dermatome is found in the groin area, and the S1 dermatome includes the outer edge of the foot and the sole. Mapping these areas helps in localizing neurological deficits.