Percutaneous (from the Latin words per, meaning: “through”, and cutis, meaning: “skin”) is the medical term for a route that penetrates the skin taken by medications, injection needles or other medical devices. Needles for drawing blood or catheters puncture vessels percutaneously, that is through the skin. Hollow organs, such as the stomach or the renal pelvis, can also be reached percutaneously by using a catheter. Medications in ointments or creams also act through the skin. These are often referred to as transdermal.
