Definition:
A disease that is disseminated has spread throughout an organ or the whole body.
In dermatology, this term is used to describe a disease that is usually localized but has spread due to worsening circumstances. It's not typically used to describe a disease that is expected to affect the whole body. For example, we don't call the flu "disseminated flu," because it's understood that the virus is affecting the whole body. On the other hand, a herpes infection typically only affects a certain area of the skin. If the herpes virus has spread throughout the body, this is called a "disseminated infection."
Source:
"Disseminated" Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary. 6th ed. 2002: 535.
