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Glite Dictionary
erythema nodosum leprosum

erythema nodosum leprosum

9.7
Painful red lumps on the skin that happen in people with leprosy
  • noun
  • /ˌɛrɪˈθimə ˈnoʊdəˌsʌm lɛˈproʊsəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eritema nodoso leproso
  • Patients with erythema nodosum leprosum may experience recurring episodes of skin lesions during their illness.

Examples

  • Patients with erythema nodosum leprosum often experience painful lesions.

  • Treatment for erythema nodosum leprosum often involves corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.

  • The doctor diagnosed the patient with erythema nodosum leprosum after noticing large, painful nodules on her legs.

  • The doctor diagnosed her with erythema nodosum leprosum after the examination.

  • Erythema nodosum leprosum can cause erythema nodosum leprosum lesions on the legs and arms of people with leprosy.

  • Patients suffering from leprosy may experience erythema nodosum leprosum, which results in painful bumps on their skin.

  • During the examination, the doctor explained that erythema nodosum leprosum often leads to discomfort and painful nodules.

Synonyms

ENL
vserythema nodosum leprosum
  • Specialized
9.9

A painful swollen skin reaction in people with leprosy that causes red lumps and fever

is the full phrase form rather than the shortened initialism

How Painful

erythema nodosum leprosum
  • Specialized
9.7
bouton
  • Archaic
9.9

Surface Forms

erythema nodosum leprosum singular
erythema nodosum leprosums plural

Morphology

erythema + nodosum + leprosum

The term is compositional in medical morphology: 'erythema' = redness, 'nodosum' signals nodular lesions, and 'leprosum' indicates a relation to leprosy, so the overall sense ('nodular redness associated with leprosy') is derivable if the Latin medical roots are known. However, these are specialized Latin-form components rather than everyday English words, so an average B1 learner (even knowing basic English constituents) would likely find the form and meanings opaque without medical knowledge, making the transparency only partial.

Etymology

Erythema nodosum leprosum comes from old Latin words: erythema means 'redness' of the skin, nodosum means 'many lumps', and leprosum shows the link to 'leprosy'. This name makes a clear picture — painful red bumps on the arms, legs, or face that happen as a problem of 'leprosy', which is why doctors use the term today.