What term is used to refer specifically to a medical lesion?

The term "lesion" is specifically used in the medical field to refer to any abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, typically indicating a disease or injury. Lesions can be found in various forms, including ulcers, tumors, or scars, and they often require evaluation to understand their underlying cause, be it infection, inflammation, or neoplasm.

By contrast, the other terms provided have broader or different meanings. "Pathology" refers to the study of disease and its effects on the body, encompassing not only lesions but also other aspects of diseases such as their causes, processes, development, and consequences. An "abscess" is a specific type of lesion characterized by a localized collection of pus within tissue, typically resulting from infection but does not cover the entirety of what a lesion can be. Lastly, "swelling" describes an increase in size or volume of a body part, often due to inflammation or fluid accumulation, but it does not denote a specific type of lesion or tissue change. Thus, "lesion" is the most accurate term for referring to a medical lesion.