Define dermatitis.

• A. Infection of the skin
• B. Scar tissue formation
• C. Inflammation of the skin
• D. Rash without inflammation

Answer: (C)

Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin. The suffix -itis signals inflammation, so dermatitis describes an inflammatory process in the skin that leads to symptoms like redness, itchiness, swelling, and sometimes blisters or oozing. It’s not about infection or scar tissue; infections can complicate inflamed skin, and scar tissue is the result of healing, not the active inflammation. This inflammatory reaction is the defining feature you’d expect with dermatitis, including forms like eczema or contact dermatitis, where itching and redness are common. A rash can be present, but the key idea is the skin’s inflammatory response.