Medical Dictionary
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An alphabetical listing of General terms and items. |
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Latin saccus = a sack.
Latin sacculus, diminutive of saccus.
Two joints, one on either side, in the lower back, between the two pelvic bones called sacrum and ilium.
Inflammation of the sacroiliac joint; bilateral sacroiliitis is a hallmark of AS.
Major bony component of the pelvis, shaped like a wedge on which the spine rests. It forms a joint with ilium, one on each side, via the right and left sacroiliac joints
Adjective, Latin sagitta = arrow, because the sagittal suture is notched posteriorly, like an arrow, by the lambdoid sutures.
Adjective, Latin saliva = spit.
A group of bacteria comprising many different types that may cause intestinal infection and diarrhea called salmonellosis, which includes typhoid fever. Enteric infections with Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, or Campylobacrer are the most common triggers for reactive arthritis, especially in some developing parts of the world.
Greek = trumpet; hence, the uterine or auditory tube, each of which is trumpet-shaped.
Adjective, Greek saphenes = obviously visible. The saphenous veins become very apparent when varicose.
So named because of its salient features
An organism which requires organic material as a source of energy.
See Saprobe.
Latin = tailor; hence, sartorius muscles, which produce the posture in which tailors once worked, squatting on the floor.
Fatty acids that are abundant in red meat, lard, butter, cheeses, and some vegetable oils, in which each molecule carries the maximum number of hydrogen atoms (see High Cholesterol).
Finger or toe that is diffusely swollen as a result of tenosynovitis; usually seen in psoriatic and reactive arthritis. It is also called dactylitis.
Latin = stairs; hence the parallel spiral passages which wind up to, or down from, the cupula of the bony cochlea.
Adjective, Greek skalenos = uneven, hence a triangle with unequal sides, an apt description of the shape of scalenus anterior and scalenus medius muscles.
Adjective, Greek skalenos = uneven, hence a triangle with unequal sides, an apt description of the shape of scalenus anterior and scalenus medius muscles.
Adjective, Greek skaphe = skiff, and eidos = shape or form; hence the carpal which is hollowed out on its distal surface for the head of the capitate; also the fossa occupied by tensor veli palatini muscle.
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Greek skapto = I dig, because of the resemblance to a spade.
A non-inflammatory spinal disease that occurs in adolescence and affects the thoracic spine, especially the discs. Often painless, but can result in a stooped back.
To detect the ability to bend forward (flexibility) of the lumbar spine (see Figure 5g and accompanying caption).
Adjective, Greek ischion = hip-joint. Ischiadikos meant pertaining to the ischium or hip - later changed to sciatic. (The ischium earns its name because it forms > 2/5 of the acetabulum, whereas the ilium contributes < 2/5, and the pubis only 1/5). The sciatic nerve lies on the ischium.
Greek skleros = hard; hence the tough, outer layer of the eyeball; adjective - scleral.
An autoimmune disease in which the skin thickens and hardens; sometimes other parts of the body are affected and joint pain may result (see Arthritis).
(sclerotic cell). The tissue form (yeast-like) of most agents of chromomycosis. Dark brown, single or in short chains, occasionally septate, 5
Greek skleros = hard, and tome = a cutting.
A non-inflammatory rotational deformity of the spine; results in a lateral curvature.
Possibly derived from Latin scorteus = leather; adjective - scrotal.
Sadness and depression that's brought on by a lack of exposure to sunlight. SAD usually appears in the fall or winter and subsides in the spring (see Depression).
High blood pressure that has an identifiable, often correctable, cause (see Hypertension).
The form of lymphedema that is caused by the cancer treatment, burns, or injuries that result in damage to the lymphatic system; SLE.
Bone loss associated with an identifiable medical condition, treatment with certain drugs, or immobility (see Osteoporosis).
Latin secretus = separated; hence, to produce a chemical substance by glandular activity - adjective, secretory; noun, secretion.
A class of drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis; they mimic the effect of estrogen but in a tissueselective manner.
Chemically synthesized drugs that mimic estrogen in some tissues but act to block estrogen's effects in others (see Menopause).
Antidepressants that block the reabsorption of serotonin by the neurons that release it, leaving more serotonin available to nerve cell receptors (see Anxiety, Depression).
A form of Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) that is performed by the patient, or a helper, between lymphedema treatments.
Latin = saddle; adjective - sellar, sella turcica = Turkish saddle.
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Latin = seed; adjective - seminal (seminal vesicle).
Adjective, Latin semi = half, and luna = moon; hence, having a half-moon shape.
Adjective, Latin semi = half, and membrana = membrane; hence, the hamstring muscle of which the upper half is membranous.
Latin semen = seed and ferre = to carry, to bear; hence, the sperm-producing tubules in the testes.
Adjective, Latin semi = half, and tendo = I stretch; hence, the hamstring muscle of which the lower half is tendinous.
The ability to detect all patients with a specific disease.
The closest lymph node to the tumor through which any cancer cells would first pass as the cancer spreads metastasis to other areas of the body; also spelled as sentinel-node.
The closest lymph node to the tumor through which any cancer cells would first pass as the cancer spreads metastasis to other areas of the body; also spelled as sentinel node.
In breast cancer, a procedure designed to analyze whether any cancer is present in the sentinel node. Sentinel-node biopsy involves injection of a colored dye and/or radioactive isotope into the breast near the tumor. If no cancer is found in the sentinel node, it is an indication that cancer has not spread to other lymph nodes.
Bacterial infection of one or more joints; requires urgent diagnosis and treatment.
Latin saeptum = fenced in; hence, a dividing fence or partition.
A cross wall.
The study of antigens or antibodies in peripheral blood to support, confirm or rule out certain diseases.
An accumulation of lymphatic fluid under an incision (see Breast Cancer).
An arthritis that is not associated with the presence of an autoantibody called rheumatoid factor in the blood. Most people with AS and related spondyloarthopathies lack this autoantibody, and therefore these diseases are examples of seronegative arthritis. On the other hand, only about 25% of people with rheumatoid arthritis are seronegative.
A neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain (see Anxiety, Depression).
Latin = like serum.
Adjective, Latin = notched like the edge of a saw (serrate).
Adjective, Greek sesamodes, eidos = shape or form; like grains of sesame, hence, small bone in tendon at site of friction.
Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase. An enzyme found in the liver and other tissues. A high level of SGPT released into the blood may be a sign of liver damage, cancer, or other diseases. Also called alanine transferase.
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A group of bacteria that can cause an illness called shigellosis, with high fever and acute diarrhea, sometimes mixed with blood (dysentery). Enteric infections with Shigella can trigger reactive arthritis.
Clusters of small swollen lymph nodes that may occur when the immune system is reacting to an infection. These nodes are so named because they feel like buckshot under the skin.
Greek sialon = saliva, and gramma = a diagram; hence, a radiograph of a salivary duct.
Brother or sister.
Sudden infant death syndrome. The sudden and unexpected death of a healthy child who is younger than one year old, usually during sleep. The cause of SIDS is not known. Also called crib death.
Adjective, Greek sigma, the form used at the end of a word having an S-shape; hence, S-shaped.
Internal examination of the rectum and sigmoid colon by means of a flexible viewing tube inserted through the anus (see Digestive Health).
Squamous intraepithelial lesion. A general term for the abnormal growth of squamous cells on the surface of the cervix. The changes in the cells are described as low grade or high grade, depending on how much of the cervix is affected and how abnormal the cells appear.
Adjective, Latin = left-sided.
Latin = a hollow or space which may contain air, venous or arterial blood, lymph or serous fluid; adjective, sinusoid.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome. A serious condition in which there is inflammation throughout the whole body. It may be caused by a severe bacterial infection (sepsis), trauma, or pancreatitis. It is marked by fast heart rate, low blood pressure, low or high body temperature, and low or high white blood cell count. The condition may lead to multiple organ failure and shock.
Muscles that move the bony skeleton, i.e. provide movement at the joints.
Systemic lupus erythematosus. A chronic, inflammatory, connective tissue disease that can affect many organs including the joints, skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and nervous system. It is marked by many different symptoms; however, not everyone with SLE has all of the symptoms. Also called lupus.
A slender piece of material surgically inserted under the urethra or bladder neck to provide support and improve continence (see Urinary Incontinence).
An instrument used by eye specialists (opthalmologists) to look for inflammation or other diseases inside the eye.
Drugs such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate, which may be useful in spondyloarthropathies that are resistant to conventional therapy. Any benefit from these drugs takes some time to manifest itself, hence the name. Unlike NSAlDs, these drugs are not pain relievers, but they will help relieve pain if they can first heal or control the underlying inflammation.
Drugs such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate, which may be useful in spondyloarthropathies that are resistant to conventional therapy. Any benefit from these drugs takes some time to manifest itself, hence the name. Unlike NSAlDs, these drugs are not pain relievers, but they will help relieve pain if they can first heal or control the underlying inflammation.
The tubular organ, about 20 feet (6 m) long, where most digestion occurs. It is made up of three parts
The lower surface of the foot - see soleus.
Adjective, Latin solea = flatfish or sandal; hence soleus muscle which does not enter the sole of the foot, but resembles the fish.
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Latin = solitary, alone.
Greek = the body.
Adjective, Greek soma = the body; hence, pertaining to the body frame but not to its viscera.
Greek soma = body, hence an embryonic body segment.
The clinical specimen most likely to yield the etiologic agent. ALSO The ecologic niche or natural nidus of the etiolgic agent.
A hollow chamber into which inhaled medicines can be squirted before inhalation. They are used with metered-dose inhalers to help deliver medicine effectively to the bronchial tubes and to reduce the amount of medicine left behind on the tongue and throat (see Asthma).
Greek spasmos = an involuntary contraction of a muscle; adjective - spastic, or spasmodic.
The capacity to identify a disease correctly.
Greek = seed or semen, adjective, spermatic.
Sun protection factor. A scale for rating the level of sunburn protection in sunscreen products. The higher the SPF, the more sunburn protection it gives. Sunscreens with an SPF value of 2 through 11 give minimal protection against sunburns. Sunscreens with an SPF of 12 through 29 give moderate protection. Those with an SPF of 30 or higher give high protection against sunburn.
Adjective, Greek sphen = wedge, and eidos = shape or form; hence the unpaired bone which is wedged into the base of the skull between the unpaired frontal and occipital.
Greek sphinkter = a tight binder; hence, a circular muscle which closes an orifice; adjective - sphincteric.
Latin spina = a thorn; hence, a sharp process, or a lay term for the vertebral column; adjective, spinous, spinal.
Covered with small spines.
A device that measures airway obstruction, used to diagnose asthma and determine the severity of the condition (see Allergies).
A simple, painless breathing test performed in a physician's office or pulmonary function laboratory that measures how fast you can force air from your lungs and the total amount of air you can empty from your lungs (see Asthma).
Adjective, Greek splanchnon = a viscus or internal organ; hence pertaining to viscera.
Latin splen = the spleen; hence; adjective - splenic (Latin - lien).
Greek splenion = a bandage. The splenium of corpus callosum resembles a partly rolled bandage.
Greek splenion = a bandage. Hence, splenius capitis muscle, with its finely-woven fibres and its quarter-spiral twist from a coronal to a sagittal plane.
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Literally means inflammation of the spine, and is best exemplified by ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
AS and related diseases are grouped under this term. These diseases show clinical similarities to some extent, and occur much more often in people who carry the HLAB27 gene.
A loss of spinal column alignment that results from one vertebra slipping forward on top of another.
Non-inflammatory degenerative (wear and tear) disease of the spinal column as we get older, such as degenerative disc disease
Adjective, Greek spongia = a sponge.
A specialized hypha that gives rise to a sporangium.
A reproductive unit formed in a sporangium.
A cell within which spores are borne by progressive cleavage.
A reproductive propagule produced internally by "free cell" formation, as in the ascomycete, i.e., complete spores formed all at once around the nuclei available or by "progressive cleavage," as in a sporangium.
Latin = a scale (as of fish or reptile); adjective - squamous.
Adjective, Latin squama = a scale (as of fish or reptile), hence scale-like.
A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It inhibits a hormone growth factor that causes some cancer cells to divide. It belongs to the family of drugs called vasopressin receptor antagonists.
Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. A type of radionuclide scan used to find carcinoid and other types of tumors. In SRS, radioactive octreotide, a drug similar to somatostatin, is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive octreotide attaches to tumor cells that have receptors for somatostatin. A radiation-measuring device detects the radioactive octreotide, and makes pictures showing where the tumor cells are in the body. This procedure is also called an octreotide scan.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. A type of drug that is used to treat depression. SSRIs slow the process by which serotonin (a substance that nerves use to send messages to one another) is reused by nerve cells that make it. This increases the amount of serotonin available for stimulating other nerves.
A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It belongs to the family of drugs called topoisomerase inhibitors. Also called gimatecan.
The stage when swelling is not evident despite impaired lymph transport. This stage can exist for many months or years before the swelling becomes evident; also known as subclinical lymphedema.
Lymphedema in which the edema consists of protein-rich fluid and the tissues are soft to the touch. Pressure leaves an indentation that is known as pitting edema.
Lymphedema in which edema and fibrosis of the tissues are present. The tissues are no longer soft to the touch and pressure leaves only a light indentation.
Lymphedema in which there is a major increase in the amount of swelling and the tissues hang in folds as the skin begins breaking down. Fibrosis becomes more extensive and the amount of fat tissue increases.
Latin = stirrup; adjective - stapedial, stapedius.
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Cholesterol-lowering medications that interfere with the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase; also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Statins work by changing the way the liver processes lipids (see Cardiovascular Health).
Adjective, Latin stella = star.
A wire mesh device inserted into a coronary artery to prop it open once a blockage has been cleared by angioplasty (see Cardiovascular Health).
Greek stereos = solid, and cilium = eyelash, hence non-motile microvilli.
Greek sternon = chest or breast, and -bra = from vertebra, hence the segments of the sternum that fuse in later life.
Greek sternon = chest or breast; adjective, sternal.
Another term for corticosteroids (see Asthma).
A drug that is being studied for its ability to inhibit the growth of certain cancers. It interferes with a portion of the protein produced by the bcr/abl oncogene. Also called Gleevec and imatinib mesylate.
Hypha from which rhizoids and sporangiophores are produced, as in the genus Rhizopus.
Greek = a mouth.
Greek stomachos = gullet or oesophagus, later applied to the wider part of the digestive tract just below the diaphragm; adjective - gastric.
An open sore in the lining of the stomach. also called gastric ulcer.
Greek strabismos = squinting; hence, inability to focus both eyes on a given point.
Latin = a covering sheet, or layer.
A diagnostic test in which cardiovascular measurements — including heart rate, blood pressure, and electrical activity — are recorded while the heart is being "stressed" (usually by having the person exercise on a treadmill or bicycle) (see Cardiovascular Health).
Latin = furrow, applied to a streak or stripe.
Adjective, Latin striatus = furrowed; hence, corpus striatum, the caudate and lentiform nuclei connected by grey strands which traverse the internal capsule, giving the strands a striated appearance.
Greek = bed or mattress, deep to the covers; hence, the supporting framework of an organ, as distinct from its special parenchyma.
Adjective, Greek stylos = an instrument for writing, and eidos = shape or form; hence a pen- or pencil-like structure.
A substance that is being studied in the treatment of cancer. It belongs to the families of drugs called protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors and angiogenesis inhibitors. Also called SU6668.
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A substance that is being studied as a treatment for cancer. It belongs to the family of drugs called angiogenesis inhibitors.
An anticancer drug that works by inhibiting a cancer cell growth factor. Also called leflunomide.
A substance that has been studied in the treatment of cancer. It belongs to the families of drugs called angiogenesis inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Also called semaxanib.
Latin sub = under or below, and clavis = a key, hence under the clavicle.
Diminutive of Latin subix = a support.
Latin = superficial.
Latin = a substance.
Latin = juice (succus entericus, the secretion of the small intestine).
Latin sudor = sweat, and movere = to move, hence stimulating the sweat glands.
Latin = a groove.
See slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs.
Adjective, Latin super = above, and cilia = eyelid; hence, pertaining to the eyebrow.
Adjective, Latin super = above, and facies = surface; hence, nearer the surface.
Adjective, comparative of Latin superus = above.
The act of turning the back of the hand to face posteriorly; verb - supinate.
Adjective, Latin supinus, recumbent on the back. Hence, also, the position of the hand with the dorsum facing posteriorly.
Latin prefix = superior to.
Latin supra = above, over, superior to, and ren = the kidney.
Adjective, Latin sura = the calf.
Latin = a support, which sustains; sustentaculum tali - the ledge on the calcaneus supporting part of the talus.
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Latin sutura = a seam; the fibrous joints between cranial bones.
Sturge-Weber syndrome. A rare, congenital disorder that affects the brain, skin, and eyes. Abnormal blood vessel growth occurs in the trigeminal nerve in the face and the meninges (covering) of the brain. This abnormal growth causes red or purple skin discoloration (sometimes called a port wine stain), usually on one side of the face, and can also cause seizures, learning disabilities, and glaucoma.
Greek syn = with, and pathos = feeling; hence, the peripheral part of the autonomic nervous system which arises in the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord and communicates with other nerves.
Greek syn = with, and physis = growth; hence a joint where union between the bones is by fibrocartilage - used for median joints. (Symphysis of the mandible is exceptional, the 2 halves fusing before the age of 2).
Greek syn = with, and aptein = to join; hence, the zone through which an impulse passes from one neuron to another.
Greek syn = with, and chondros = cartilage; hence, the union of 2 bones by cartilage.
Greek syn = with, and kytos = cell, hence a multinucleate mass of protoplasm, formed by the merging of cells.
Ligamentous bone deposits (ossification) producing fine bony bridging between adjacent vertebral bodies at the margin of the vertebrae, characteristic of AS. They are vertically orientated, unlike osteophytes (seen in degenerative disc disease), which grow horizontally.
Greek syn = with, and desmos = a band; hence, the union of 2 bones by fibrous tissue.
A complex of signs and symptoms that when occurring together suggest a particular disease.
Greek syn = with, and ergon = work; hence a muscle which cooperates with others in producing a given movement.
Another (especially a later or illegitimate) name for a species or taxonomic group.
Greek syn = with, and ovum = egg; hence the fluid in freely movable joints resembling egg-white; adjective, synovial.
Adjective, Greek syn = with, and ovum = egg; hence pertaining to the fluid in freely movable joints resembling egg-white.
The most mobile type of joint; found in the shoulders, wrists, fingers, hips, etc (see Arthritis).
Inflammation of the joints resulting from inflamed synoviumj this results in joint inflammation (arthritis).
A thin membrane (normally one or two cell layers thick) lining the inside of the joint capsule. It produces synovial fluid for lubrication and nourishment of the joint cartilage.
Greek = contraction; hence the contraction of cardiac muscle.
The pressure in the arteries at the point when the heart pumps; the first and higher of the two numbers obtained when blood pressure is measured (see Cardiovascular Health).
The first (top) number of a blood pressure measurement, which reflects pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts (see Hypertension).
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