cutaneo

Cutaneo is an adjective used in Italian and Spanish to indicate a relationship to the skin. In English, the corresponding terms are cutaneous or dermal. The word derives from Latin cutaneus, which in turn comes from cutis, meaning skin.

In anatomical and medical contexts, cutaneo relates to the integumentary system, which includes the skin and its associated structures. The skin is the body's largest organ, consisting of the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. It serves as a barrier against environmental hazards, helps regulate temperature, provides sensory information through cutaneous receptors, participates in immune defense, and contributes to vitamin D synthesis. Cutaneo terminology is used to describe tissues, nerves, glands, and membranes associated with the skin, such as cutaneous nerves and cutaneous glands.

Clinically, the term is often used in the phrase “cutaneous diseases” to refer to conditions affecting the skin. These include inflammatory disorders like dermatitis and psoriasis, infectious conditions such as bacterial or fungal infections, and neoplasms such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Cutaneous manifestations can accompany systemic diseases and may be used to aid diagnosis.

Related concepts in anatomy include cutaneous innervation and cutaneous blood supply, which describe the nerve supply and vascularization of the skin. The term also appears in the description of the cutaneous membrane, the dry outer covering that constitutes the skin itself as a bodily membrane.