Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Dermis papilar
Papillary dermis (PA-pih-LAYR-ee DER-mis)
The thin top layer of the dermis (the inner layer of the skin). The papillary dermis has connective tissue and blood vessels that give nutrients to the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) and that help control the temperature of the skin.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.