dyskeratosis

1. Premature keratinization in individual epithelial cells that have not reached the keratinizing surface layer; dyskeratotic cells generally become rounded and they may break away from adjacent cells and fall off. 2. Epidermalization of the conjunctival and corneal epithelium. 3. A disorder of keratinization. [dys- + G. keras, horn, + -osis, condition]

- benign d. d. that may occur in congenital and bullous diseases of the skin.

- d. congenita [MIM*305000] nail dystrophy, oral leukoplakia, and reticular pigmentation of the skin, testicular atrophy with anemia progressing most commonly to pancytopenia; X-linked recessive inheritance, caused by mutation in the DKC1 gene encoding dyskenin on Xq.

- intraepithelial d. [MIM*127600] an autosomal dominant condition consisting of white spongy lesions of the buccal mucosa, floor of the mouth, ventral lateral tongue, gingiva and palate. Transient gelatinous plaques form over the cornea, which may produce temporary blindness;

- isolated d. follicularis SYN: warty dyskeratoma.

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dys·ker·a·to·sis .dis-.ker-ə-'tō-səs n, pl -to·ses -.sēz faulty development of the epidermis with abnormal keratinization

dys·ker·a·tot·ic -'tät-ik adj

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dys·ker·a·to·sis (dis-ker″ə-toґsis) abnormal, premature, or imperfect keratinization of the keratinocytes.