Knowra Dermatome Dermatome A dermatome is an area of skin whose sensory supply is associated mainly with one spinal nerve root. Neighboring dermatomes overlap, so their boundaries are approximate.
Spinal nerve : A mixed nerve formed by the union of sensory and motor roots from the spinal cord. Each dermatome is associated mainly with the sensory fibers entering through one spinal nerve.
Radiculopathy : A disorder caused by compression or irritation of a spinal nerve root. Root irritation can produce pain, tingling, or numbness in the affected dermatome.
Dermatome map : A diagram assigning skin regions to spinal nerve roots. Maps summarize the conventional boundaries used to interpret sensory findings.
Peripheral nerve : A nerve outside the brain and spinal cord that carries sensory, motor, or autonomic signals. Peripheral nerves combine fibers from multiple roots, so their skin territories differ from dermatomes.
Dorsal root ganglion : A cluster of sensory neuron cell bodies located on a spinal nerve's dorsal root. Sensory signals from a dermatome travel through the corresponding dorsal root ganglion.
Neurological examination : A clinical assessment of nervous-system function using tests of movement, sensation, reflexes, and coordination. Testing sensation across dermatomes helps identify the spinal level of a lesion.
C6 dermatome : The skin territory commonly associated with the sixth cervical spinal nerve root. Sensation over the thumb is a familiar landmark for this cervical level.
Cutaneous nerve territory : An area of skin supplied mainly by a particular peripheral sensory nerve. Its boundaries follow named peripheral nerves, not individual spinal roots.
Spinal nerve root : A bundle of sensory or motor nerve fibers connecting a spinal nerve to the spinal cord. The sensory root links the skin territory to its spinal cord level.
Herpes zoster : A viral reactivation of varicella-zoster virus that causes a painful, usually localized rash. Its rash often follows one or a few adjacent dermatomes.
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