Copy of `Dorland's Medical Dictionary`

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Dorland's Medical Dictionary Category: Health and Medicine > Medical Dictionary Date & country: 31/12/2010, USA Words: 39128

forced vital capacity
the greatest volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs by exhaling as forcefully and rapidly as possible following a full inhalation .

forceps
(for´seps) a two-bladed instrument with a handle, used for compressing or grasping tissues in surgical operations, handling sterile dressings, and other purposes.

forceps delivery
extraction of a fetus from the maternal passages by application of forceps to the baby's head. Forceps delivery.

Fordyce disease
(for´dīs) a developmental anomaly marked by enlarged and ectopic sebaceous glands that appear as minute yellowish papules on the oral mucosa.

forearm
(for´ahrm) the part of the upper limb between the elbow and wrist; called also antebrachium.

forearm crutch
a crutch whose top is at the level of the forearm, with a hand bar as well as a cuff that goes around the forearm to increase stability.

forearm sign
Léri sign.

forebrain
(for´brān) prosencephalon.

foreconscious
(for´kon-shәs) preconscious.

forefinger
(for´fing-gәr) the second finger, counting the thumb as first; called also index finger.

forefoot
(for´foot) the front part of the foot.

foregut
(for´gәt) the endodermal canal of the embryo cephalic to the junction of the yolk stalk, giving rise to the pharynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, liver, and most of the small intestine.

forehead
(for´hed) the part of the face above the eyes; the anterior portion of the cranium. Called also frons.

foreign
(for´әn) not normal or usual to a place. in immunology, pertaining to substances not recognized as “self” and capable of inducing an immune response. foreign body reaction a granulomatous inflammatory response evoked by the presence of a foreign body in the...

foreign body
a mass of material that is not normal to the place where it is found.

foreign body giant cells
a type of giant cells that resemble Langhans giant cells and have clusters of nuclei scattered in an irregular pattern throughout the cytoplasm; they are formed by coalescence and fusion of macrophages, with only a rare internal nuclear division, and are characteristic of inflammation induced by inoculation or implantation of e...

foreign body granuloma
a localized histiocytic reaction to a foreign body in the tissue.

forensic
(fә-ren´zik) pertaining to or applied in legal proceedings.

forensic medicine
the application of medical knowledge to questions of law; see also medical jurisprudence. Called also legal medicine.

forensic psychiatry
that dealing with the legal aspects of mental disorders.

forensic psychology
psychology dealing with the legal aspects of behavior and mental disorders.

foreplay
(for´pla) the sexually stimulating, usually pleasurable, play preceding intercourse.

foreshortening
(for-shor´tәn-ing) a distortion that gives the appearance of decreased depth in an image that is being studied radiographically.

foreskin
(for´skin) prepuce.

Forestier disease
(fo″res-tya´) hyperostosis of the anterolateral vertebral column, especially in the thoracic region.

forewaters
(for´waw-tәrz) the part of the amniotic sac that pouches into the uterine cervix in front of the presenting part of the fetus.

fork
(fork) a pronged instrument, or something resembling one. replication fork a site on a DNA molecule at which unwinding of the helices and synthesis of daughter molecules are both occurring. Replication fork, showing simultaneous synthesis...

formal operations
a form of thinking following the stage of concrete operations and representing the final, most mature state of thinking; usually occurring after the age of 11 and characterized by the emergence of true logical thought, with the capability for deductive reasoning, abstract thinking, formulation and testing of hypotheses, a...

formal thought disorder
disturbance in the form, rather than the content, of thought; disruption in the flow of ideas or speech; inability to follow the normal semantic or syntactic rules in someone with adequate intelligence and education and the cultural background to do so.

formaldehyde
(for-mal´dә-hīd) a gaseous compound with strongly disinfectant properties. It is used in a 37 per cent solution (formaldehyde solution; also called formol or formalin) as a disinfectant and as a preservative and fixative for pathological specimens. The gas is toxic and carcinogenic.

formaldehyde test
see specific tests, including Jorissen test and Kentmann test.

formalin
(for´mә-lin) formaldehyde solution; see formaldehyde.

formamidase
(for-mam´ĭ-dās) an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of formylkynurenine to kynurenine and formate in tryptophan metabolism.

formation
(for-ma´shәn) the process of giving shape or form; the creation of an entity or of a structure of definite shape. a structure of definite shape. compromise formation in psychoanalysis a substituted idea or act representing and permitting partial expression of a repress...

formative cell
a cell of the embryoblast of the conceptus, a blastomere destined to form a part of the embryo; as distinct from a cell of the trophoblast.

formed elements of the blood
the blood cells.

formic acid
(for´mik) a colorless, pungent liquid with vesicant properties, from nettles and ants and other insects; derivable from oxalic acid and from glycerin and from the oxidation of formaldehyde.

formication
(for″mĭ-ka´shәn) a tactile hallucination in which there is a sensation of tiny insects crawling over the skin; most commonly seen in cocaine or amphetamine intoxication.

formication sign
Tinel sign.

formiciasis
(for″mĭ-si´ә-sis) a morbid condition caused by ant bites.

formiminoglutamic acid
(FIGLU) (for-mim″ĭ-no-gloo-tam´ik) a product of histidine metabolism. The urine FIGLU concentration is elevated in some individuals with folic acid deficiency.

formol
(for´mol) formaldehyde solution; see formaldehyde.

formula
(for´mu-lә) pl. formulas, for´mulae an expression, using numbers or symbols, giving the directions for preparing a compound (such as a medicine) or giving a procedure to follow to obtain a desired result. a mixture for feeding an infant, usually with cow's milk as a base, supplemented with vitamins an...

formulary
(for´mu-lar″e) a collection of recipes, formulas, and prescriptions.

formyl
(for´mәl) the radical, HCO or H· C:Osbond, of formic acid.

fornix
(for´niks) pl. for´nices Latin word meaning arch. In anatomy, it is used for a structure shaped like an arch. fornix of conjunctiva conjunctival cul-de-sac. vaginal fornix the arch-like space between the wall of the upper end of the vagina and the cervix of ...

Forsius-Eriksson syndrome
(for´se-әs er´ik-sәn) an X-linked eye condition formerly thought to be a form of ocular albinism. Symptomatic males show hypoplastic foveas, axial myopia, and protanomaly, and female carriers show slightly defective color discrimination and latent nystagmus, but no mosaic pigment pattern in the fundus. Calle...

Forssman antibody
a heterophile antibody directed against the Forssman antigen.

Forssman antigen
a heterophile antigen from guinea pig tissues that lyses sheep erythrocytes in the presence of complement to cause formation of a type of heterophile antibody called the Forssman antibody when combined with protein or hog serum. The Paul-Bunnell-Davidsohn test uses that process in detection of heterophile antibodies for infectious mo...

Fort Bragg fever
pretibial fever.

Fortaz
(for´taz) trademark for a preparation of ceftazidime, a cephalosporin antibiotic.

fortified
(for´tĭ-fīd) containing nutrients that have been artificially added to foods that do not naturally contain them, such as milk fortified with vitamin D.

fortified milk
milk made more nutritious by addition of milk protein, vitamin A, or vitamin D.

fortitude
(for´tĭ-tldbomacd) in bioethics, a virtue consisting of a firm, sustained, moral courage or patient endurance of misfortune, pain, or other difficulties. As in all the virtues, the emphasis is on sustainability, not on individual acts.

forward heart failure
a concept of heart failure emphasizing the inadequacy of cardiac output as the primary cause.

forward-bending maneuver
a method of detecting retraction signs in neoplastic changes in the breasts; the patient bends forward from the waist with chin held up and arms extended toward the examiner. If retraction is present, an asymmetry in the breast is seen.

fosamprenavir
(fos″am-pren´ә-vir) a prodrug of amprenavir, administered orally as the calcium salt in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infections.

foscarnet
(fos-kahr´net) an agent that inhibits replication of viruses, used as the sodium salt in treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis and herpes simplex in immunocompromised patients.

fosfomycin
(fos-fo-mi´sin) an antibacterial agent active against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, used in the treatment of urinary tract infection; administered orally as the tromethamine salt.

fosinopril
(fo-sin´o-pril) an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor administered orally as the sodium salt to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure.

fosphenytoin
(fos´fen-ĭ-toin″) a prodrug of phenytoin used as the sodium salt in treatment of epilepsy, excluding the petit mal type; administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

fossa
(fos´ә) pl. fos´sae Latin word meaning trench. In anatomy, it is used for a hollow or depressed area.

fossa of vestibule of vagina
vestibular fossa.

fossa ovalis cordis
(fos´ә o-va´lis kor´dis) a fossa in the right atrium of the heart; the remains of the fetal foramen ovale.

fossa ovalis femoris
(fos´ә o-va´lis fem´ә-ris) the depression in the fascia lata that is bridged by the cribriform fascia and perforated by the great saphenous vein.

fossette
(fos-et´) a small depression. a small, deep corneal ulcer.

fossula
(fos´u-lә) pl. fos´sulae Latin word meaning a small trench, or fossa; a term used in anatomy.

Foster Kennedy syndrome
Kennedy syndrome.

Fothergill operation
(foth´әr-gil) an operation for uterine prolapse by fixation of the cardinal ligaments.

Fouchet test
(for bilirubin in urine) a few drops of Fouchet reagent are added to the specimen; a green color is produced if bilirubin is present.

foundryman's fever
metal fume fever.

four-point gait
a gait using crutches in which first one crutch is advanced, then the opposite leg, then the second crutch, then the second leg, and so on.

fourchette
(fldbomacr-shet´) frenulum of pudendal labia.

Fournier disease
(foor-nya´) Fournier gangrene.

Fournier test
(foor-nya´) (for ataxic gait) the patient is asked to rise on command from a sitting position, then to rise and walk, to stop quickly on command, and then to walk and turn around quickly on command. The ataxic gait is thus brought out.

fourth disease
Dukes disease.

fourth stage of labor
see labor.

fourth ventricle of brain
fourth cerebral ventricle a median cavity in the hindbrain, containing cerebrospinal fluid.

fourth-degree burn
a burn that extends deeply into the subcutaneous tissue, completely destroying the skin, subcutaneous fat, and underlying tendons, and sometimes going as deep as muscle, fascia, or bone.

fovea
(fo´ve-ә) pl. fo´veae Latin word meaning a small pit or depression;. It is often used alone to indicate the central fovea of the retina. central fovea of retina , fovea centralis retinae a small pit in the center of the macula lutea, composed of slim elongated cones;...

foveal reflex
the dotlike reflex of light caused by the foveola retinae, seen during ophthalmoscopy.

foveate
(fo´ve-āt) pitted.

foveation
(fo″ve-a´shәn) formation of pits on a surface, as on the skin; a pitted condition.

foveola
(fo-ve´o-lә) pl. fove´olae Latin word meaning a small pit or depression; a term used in anatomy.

Foville syndrome
(fo-vēl´) a syndrome similar to the Millard-Gubler syndrome, except that, in addition to paralysis of the outward movement of the eye, there is paralysis of conjugate movement.

Fowler position
a position in which the head of the patient's bed is raised 30 to 90 degrees above the level, with the knees sometimes also elevated.

Fox-Fordyce disease
(foks´ for´dīs) a chronic condition, usually with itching, seen most often in women, characterized by small papular eruptions on skin surfaces over apocrine glands, such as in the armpits or the pubic region; it is caused by obstruction and rupture of part of the ducts of the apocrine glands in question.

FPG
fasting plasma glucose.

Fr
francium.

fraction
(frak´shәn) a portion of something larger; see also fractionation and fractional dose. in chemistry, one of the separable constituents of a substance. ejection fraction the proportion of the volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole that is ejected durin...

fractional dose
fractionated dose a fraction of the total dose prescribed, as of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, to be given at intervals, usually during a 24-hour period. Called also divided dose.

fractionation
(frak″shәn-a´shәn) in radiology, division of the total dose of radiation into small doses given at intervals. in chemistry, separation of a substance into components, as by distillation or crystallization. in histology, isolation of components of living cells by differential centr...

fracture
(frak´chәr) the breaking of a part, especially a bone. a break in continuity of bone; it may be caused by trauma, twisting due to muscle spasm or indirect loss of leverage, or by disease that results in osteopenia.

fracture by contrecoup
a fracture of the skull opposite to the site of impact.

fracture en coin
(ah kwă´) a V-shaped fracture.

fracture en rave
(ah rahv´) a fracture in which the break is transverse at the surface, but not within.

fracture orthosis
an orthosis designed to hold bones in place after a fracture; see also fracture splint.

fracture splint
a device made of metal or plastic and used to fix segments in the treatment of fractures or of facial deformities. a plastic material contoured to the lingual and buccal-labial aspects of the teeth and fixed with wire or cement.

fracture-dislocation
(frak´chәr-dis″lo-ka´shәn) a fracture of a bone near a joint, also involving dislocation.

fragile X syndrome
an X-linked syndrome associated with a fragile site on the X chromosome, associated with mental retardation, enlarged testes, high forehead, and enlarged jaw and ears in most males and mild mental retardation in many heterozygous females. It is a triplet repeat disorder, associated with expansion of triplet repeats from the nor...