This document defines and provides examples of medical terms derived from Ancient Greek and Latin words referring to color. It discusses terms containing the roots "leuko" meaning white and used in words like leukocyte and leukemia, "melan/melano" meaning black and used in words like melanoma and melasma, "cyno/cyna" meaning blue and used in words like cyanosis and cyanide, and "xantho" meaning yellow and used in words like xanthoma and xanthodermic. Each term is defined and examples are given of diseases, skin conditions, or other medical contexts where the color-related root is used.

1. (some) Medical Terms
referring to color
from Ancient Latin and Ancient
Greek
Leuko = white
Melan = black
Cyno / Cyna = blue
xantho =yellow

2. Leuko
From Ancient Greek word
meaning WHITE

3. leukocortical
• Relating to the white matter of the brain

4. leukophobia
• Pathological fear of or aversion to the color
white.

5. leukocyte
• A white blood cell.

6. leukemia
• A type of malignancy affecting the white and
red blood cells or blood-forming tissues.

7. Melan / Melano =
Black

8. melanoma
• black tumor of the skin.
• a tumor arising from the melanocytic system
of the skin and other organs. When used
alone, the term refers to malignant
melanoma.

9. melanoderm
An obsolete term for a person with dark skin.
Melasma
• It is a common adult onset condition which causes lighter skin to
turn dark brown or a greyish pigmentation, primarily on the face.
It is called melisma, originating from the Greek word for black. It
can affect both men and women of any race, however it is more
prevalent in women with darker skin who live in and enjoy sunny
climates.

10. melanoleukoderma
• mottled appearance of
the skin of the neck and
adjacent regions, a rare
manifestation of
syphilis.
• [melano- + leukos,
white, + derma, skin]
• Mottled skin

11. melanophore
• A dermal pigment cell that does not secrete its pigment granules but
participates in rapid color changes by intracellular aggregation and
dispersal of melanosomes; it is well developed in fish, amphibians, and
reptiles, but absent in humans.
• [melano- + . phoros, bearing]

12. Cynano
From Ancient Greek
meaning BLUE

13. cyan/ cyno = blue
•cyanosis A blue discoloration of the skin
due to the circulation of blood low in oxygen.

14. cyanopathy
• A disease in which the surface of the body
turns blue, usually arising from a
malformation of the heart, which causes an
imperfect arterialization of the blood.

15. Cyanide
is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly
chemical that can exist in various
forms.
Cyano- is from a Latinized form of
Greek kyanos "dark blue." It was so
named because it first had been
obtained by heating the dye pigment
powder known as Prussian blue.

16. xanth/ xantho =
yellow

17. xanthoma : yellow tumor
• a papule, nodule, or plaque in the
skin due to lipid deposits; it is
usually yellow, but may be brown,
reddish, or cream colored.
• The formation of xanthomas may
indicate an underlying disease,
usually related to abnormal
metabolism of lipids, including
cholesterol.
• Abnormally high levels of blood
lipids may be found in diabetes
mellitus in diseases of the liver,
kidney, and thyroid gland, and in
several hereditary metabolic
diseases.
Legs of a person homozygous for
familial hypercholesterolemia,
showing multiple xanthomas.
From Mueller and Young, 2001.

18. Xanthodermic
• Having
yellowish skin

19. Xanthochromia
• The occurrence of
patches of yellow
colour in the skin,
resembling
xanthoma, but
without the
nodules or plates.