squamous

1. Covered with or formed of scales; scaly.
2. Resembling a scale or scales; thin and flat like a scale: the squamous cells of the cervix.
3. Of or relating to the thin, platelike part of the temporal bone.

[Latin squāmōsus, from squāma, scale.]

1. Covered with or formed of scales; scaly.
2. Resembling a scale or scales; thin and flat.
3. Squamosal.

Scaly or platelike.

• s. bone — the pars squamosa, or squamous portion of the temporal bone.
• s. cell carcinoma — a carcinoma arising from squamous epithelium; relatively common, locally invasive and occasionally metastatic. In animals they occur on the conjunctiva, the mouth, salivary duct, stomach, trachea and bronchi, prostate, penis, prepuce, vulva, urinary bladder and skin. See also specific organ locations.
• s. eddy — a common histological pattern in neoplastic and hyperplastic epidermal disorders. They are whorl-like patterns of squamoid cells.
• s. metaplasia — affected cells are converted to a squamous stratified type from the surface of which squames are shed.
• ocular s. cell carcinoma — that arising from squamous epithelium and having cuboid cells. Squamous cell carcinoma around the eye, also known as cancer eye, is a common neoplasm in cattle, especially those breeds with little pigment in the eyelids. Sunlight, viruses, skin pigmentation and heredity are all thought to be involved in causing the disease. Lesions begin on the third eyelid, unpigmented eyelid or vascular cornea. They are fungating masses of tissue, usually ulcerated, necrotic and apparently painful. They grow rapidly and commonly invade the local lymph nodes. Similar lesions occur on the eyeball and eyelid of the horse. What makes the cattle disease so remarkable is the high prevalence rate. Called also cancer eye.
— Squamous cell carcinomas are among the most common skin tumors in dogs and cats. They are particularly common in sun-exposed areas of skin such as the pinnae, eyelids or noses of white cats. Tumors are locally invasive and slow to metastasize.
• s. papilloma — the common papilloma in all species except cattle and deer. Composed largely of epithelial tissue in contrast to fibropapillomas but many lesions are intermediate in type.
• s. pearl — see horn pearls.

Scaly; covered with scales.