petechia

petechia definition - medical

pe·te·chi·a (pə-tēˈkē-ə)

noun pl. pe·te·chi·ae (-kē-īˌ)
A small purplish spot on a body surface, such as the skin or a mucous membrane, caused by a minute hemorrhage and often seen in typhus.

Related Forms:

  • pe·teˈchi·al adjective

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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