percutaneus

Percutaneous, sometimes encountered in older or Latinized texts as percutaneus, is an adjective used in medical and scientific contexts to mean through the skin. The standard English spelling is percutaneous, derived from Latin per- through and cutis skin.

In medicine, the term describes procedures, routes, or therapies that involve passage through the skin. This includes percutaneous biopsy (taking tissue samples through the skin), percutaneous drainage (removal of fluids via a skin puncture), and percutaneous catheterization or drainage procedures, where access to internal structures is gained through the skin using needles or catheters. Percutaneous approaches are common in radiology, interventional cardiology, urology, and oncology.

Percutaneous drug delivery refers to any method that delivers a substance through the skin. This broad category includes topical applications and transdermal systems such as patches that release medications systemically. Factors influencing percutaneous absorption include the drug’s molecular size and lipophilicity, skin health, formulation, and the area of application. While percutaneous administration can bypass first-pass hepatic metabolism, its effectiveness is limited to drugs suitable for skin passage.

Distinctions are made from related terms: intradermal means into the dermis layer of the skin; subcutaneous refers to beneath the skin into adipose tissue; transdermal emphasizes systemic delivery through the skin. Percutaneous methods emphasize access or passage through the skin to reach underlying tissues or organs.