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

knee jerk
knee jerk reflex a kick reflex produced by sharply tapping the patellar ligament. To test this reflex, the lower part of the leg is allowed to hang relaxed (such as by crossing the legs at the knees) and the examiner taps the ligament below the patella with a small rubber hammer. The normal reaction is contraction of the quadric...

knee jerk reflex
knee jerk.

knee joint
the compound joint between the femur, patella, and tibia.

knee-chest position
one in which the patient rests on the knees and chest with head turned to one side, arms extended on the bed, and elbows flexed and resting so that they partially bear the patient's weight; the abdomen remains unsupported, though a small pillow may be placed under the chest.

knee-elbow position
one in which the patient rests on the knees and elbows with chest elevated.

kneecap
(ne´kap) patella.

Knies sign
unequal dilatation of the pupils, one manifestation of Graves orbitopathy.

knife needle
a slender knife with a needle-like point, used in ophthalmic operations.

knock-knee
(nok´ne″) a childhood deformity, developing gradually, in which the knees rub together or “knock” in walking and the ankles are far apart; the most common causes are irregularity in growth of the long bones of the lower limb and weak ligaments.

knockout mouse
a mouse that has had a specific gene artificially deleted from its genome.

knot
(not) an intertwining of the ends or parts of one or more threads, sutures, or strips of cloth. in anatomy, a knoblike swelling or protuberance. surgeon's knot , surgical knot a knot in which the thread is passed twice through the first loop and once through...

Knott test
(for microfilariae or worm larvae in blood) a blood sample is subjected to lysis in a dilute (2 per cent) formalin solution, followed by centrifugation and examination of the stained sediment for microfilariae or larvae.

knuckle
(nuk´әl) the dorsal aspect of any interphalangeal joint, or any similarly bent structure.

knuckle pads
nodular thickenings of the skin on the dorsal surface of the interphalangeal joints, thought to be hereditary; they may cause contractures.

Kober test
(for estrogens) when estrogens are treated with a mixture of sulfuric acid and phenolsulfonic acid and then diluted with water, a clear pink color is formed; suitable for qualitative analysis.

Koch phenomenon
if a guinea pig that has been previously infected with tuberculosis organisms is reinjected intracutaneously, the skin over the injected area undergoes necrosis; a superficial ulcer develops and heals quickly, and infection of regional lymph nodes is retarded. The phenomenon demonstrates development of ability to localize...

Koch's law
(kawk) see Koch postulates.

Kocher incision
a subcostal incision that, when made on the right, provides exposure of the gallbladder and common bile duct and, when made on the left, provides exposure for splenectomy or splenorenal venous anastomosis.

Kocher point
a point for puncture of the lateral ventricles; 2.5 cm from the midline, 3.5 cm in front of the bregma.

Kocher reflex
contraction of the abdominal muscle on compression of the testicle; called also testicular compression reflex.

Kocher sign
a sign of Graves orbitopathy: the examiner places one hand on a level with the patient's eyes and then lifts it higher; the patient's upper lid springs up more quickly than the eyeball does.

Kocher-Debré-Sémélaigne syndrome
(ko´kәr dә-bra´ sa-ma-len´yә) Debré-Sémélaigne syndrome.

Kock pouch
(kok) the most common kind of continent ileal reservoir. See also ileostomy. a type of neobladder made from a segment of isolated ileum. It consists of an afferent nipple, into which the ureters are implanted in a manner that prevents reflux of urine, and a continent efferent nipple. It is drained by cathe...

Koebner phenomenon
a cutaneous response seen in certain skin diseases, such as psoriasis and lichen planus, with lesions appearing on uninvolved skin near the site of the skin disease; a similar reaction sometimes occurs on scars or at points where articles of clothing such as belts produce pressure.

Koenen tumor
periungual fibroma.

Koerber-Salus-Elschnig syndrome
(kur´bәr sah´lldbomacs elsh´nik) sylvian syndrome.

Kohlmeier-Degos disease
(kurl´mi-әr dә-go´) malignant atrophic papulosis.

koilonychia
(koi″lo-nik´e-ә) dystrophy of the nails in which they are abnormally thin and concave from side to side, with the edges turned up; it is sometimes seen iniron deficiency anemia. Called also spoon nail.

koilorrhachic
(koi″lo-rak´ik) having a vertebral column in which the lumbar spinal curvature is too concave towards the front.

koilosternia
(koi″lo-stur´ne-ә) pectus excavatum.

Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
a statistical test of goodness of fit of a sample to a specified theoretical distribution function, based on the size of the maximum difference between the cumulative distribution functions of the sample and theoretical distributions and using the exact sampling distribution of this difference to determine the significanc...

Kondoleon operation
a formerly common treatment for elephantiasis and other types of lymphedema by the removal of strips of subcutaneous tissue; it was later modified to the Homans operation.

Koplik sign
Koplik spots small, irregular, bright red spots on the mucous membranes of the cheek and tongue, with a tiny blue to white speck in the center of each; they are pathognomonic of beginning measles.

Korean hemorrhagic fever
epidemic hemorrhagic fever.

Korean hemorrhagic fever virus
Hantaan virus.

Korotkoff sounds
sounds heard during auscultion for blood pressure, thought to be caused by vibratory motion of the arterial wall as the artery suddenly expands when compressed by a blood pressure cuff. Origin of the sound may be within the blood passing through the vessel or within the wall itself.

Korotkoff test
(for collateral circulation) in aneurysm, if the blood pressure in the peripheral circulation remains fairly high while the artery above the aneurysm is compressed, the collateral circulation is good.

Korsakoff psychosis
Korsakoff syndrome (kor´sә-kof) a mental disorder associated with chronic alcoholism and caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency; it is the amnestic component of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Characteristics include amnesia, sometimes with disorientation, confabulation, and lack of insight into the memory ...

Koshevnikoff disease
(kә-shef´nĭ-kof) Kozhevnikov disease epilepsia partialis continua.

Kossel test
(for hypoxanthine) the liquid to be tested is treated with zinc and hydrochloric acid and with sodium hydroxide in excess; if hypoxanthine is present, a ruby-red color is produced.

Kostmann neutropenia
Kostmann syndrome (kost´mahn) infantile genetic agranulocytosis.

Kr
krypton.

Krabbe disease
(krah´bә) a familial form of leukoencephalopathy beginning in infancy, in which the sphingolipid ceramide galactoside accumulates in the tissues due to a deficiency of β-galactosidase, marked pathologically by cerebral demyelination and by the presence of large globoid bodies in the white substance.

Krafft point
the temperature above which conjugated bile salts form polymolecular aggregates (micelles) of about 3 to 10 nm in diameter.

Kraske operation
(krahs´kә) removal of the coccyx and part of the sacrum for access to a rectal carcinoma.

Kraske position
jackknife position.

kraurosis
(kraw-ro´sis) a dried, shriveled condition. kraurosis vulvae atrophy of the female external genitalia, resulting in drying and shriveling, with leukoplakic patches on the mucosa and intense itching.

Krause glands
accessory lacrimal glands deep in the conjunctival connective tissue, mainly near the upper fornix.

Krause operation
extradural excision of the gasserian ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia; of historical interest.

Krause syndrome
(krou´zә) a retinal and cerebral dysplasia found in premature infants several months after birth, characterized by malformations of the choroid, retina, and optic nerve, and possible blindness, cataract, coloboma, glaucoma, and microphthalmos. Cerebral symptoms include aplasia, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy o...

Krebs cycle
tricarboxylic acid cycle.

Kremer test
SCMC test.

Kreysig sign
Heim-Kreysig sign.

Krishaber disease
(kre″sah-bār´) a syndrome characterized by tachycardia, insomnia, lightheadedness or vertigo, hyperesthesia, and a feeling of emptiness in the head; called also cerebrocardiac syndrome.

Krisovski (Krisowski) sign
cicatricial lines radiating from the mouth in congenital syphilis.

Krukenberg tumor
a type of carcinoma of the ovary, usually metastatic from cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, especially of the stomach. It is characterized by areas of mucoid degeneration and signet ring cells.

Kruskal-Wallis test
a nonparametric test for ordinal data, comparing three or more groups simultaneously: all data are ranked numerically and then the rank values are summed and averaged for each group. If the null hypothesis that all groups are drawn from the same population is true, then the mean ranks should be similar across all groups.

krypton
(Kr) (krip´ton) a chemical element, atomic number 36, atomic weight 83.80. krypton 81m an unstable radioactive isotope of krypton having a half-life of 13 seconds and emitting gamma rays. It is used in pulmonary ventilation studies to evaluate regional func...

Krönlein hernia
inguinoproperitoneal hernia.

Krönlein operation
resection of the outer wall of the orbit for the removal of an orbital tumor without excising the eye.

KUB
[kidneys, ureters, and bladder] a plain film of the abdomen, providing information about abdominal organs including the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.

Kufs disease
(koofs) the rare adult form of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis, usually seen before age 40. Clinical findings include progressive neurologic degeneration, excessive storage of lipofuscin in the central nervous system, and shortened life expectancy. Unlike the late infantile (Janský-Bielschowsky disease), and juvenile forms (Vo...

Kugelberg-Welander syndrome
(koo´gәl-berg va´lahn-dәr) a hereditary form of muscular atrophy due to lesions of the anterior horns of the spinal cord, with onset usually between 2 and 17 years of age; it is marked by atrophy and weakness of the proximal muscles of the lower limbs and pelvic girdle, and later of the distal muscles with m...

Kuhlmann test
a modification of the Binet test of intelligence for use in infants.

Kuhnt-Junius disease
(kldbomacnt´ yoo´ne-us) disciform macular degeneration.

Kulchitsky cell carcinoma
carcinoid tumor of the small or large intestine.

Kulchitsky cells
argentaffin cells found between the cells that line the glands of Lieberkühn of the intestine.

Kumba virus
a strain of Semliki Forest virus isolated from mosquitoes in the Kumba region of Cameroon.

Kumlinge virus
a strain of Central European encephalitis virus that causes a febrile illness accompanied by encephalitis in Finland.

Kunjin virus
a mosquito-borne virus of the genus Flavivirus, antigenically related to Japanese encephalitis virus, that causes febrile disease and encephalitis in Australia and the Malay Archipelago.

Kunkel syndrome
(kung´kәl) chronic active hepatitis.

Kupffer cell sarcoma
hepatic angiosarcoma.

Kupffer cells
large, stellate or pyramidal, intensely phagocytic cells lining the walls of the hepatic sinusoids and forming part of the reticuloendothelial system. Kupffer cells lining a hepatic sinusoid.

Kurloff (Kurlov) bodies
bodies seen in the large mononuclear leukocytes of guinea pigs and related rodents. Observations with the electron microscope indicate that they probably result from intracellular secretion or from a sequestering and concentration of a serum molecular component.

kurtosis
(kәr-to´sis) the degree of peakedness or flatness of a probability distribution as compared to the normal distribution having the same variance.

kuru
(koo´roo) an infectious form of prion disease with a long incubation period; it is found only among the Fore and neighboring peoples of New Guinea, is always fatal, and is thought to be associated with ritual cannibalism. Characteristics include truncal and limb ataxia, a shivering-like tremor (“kuru” ...

Kussmaul coma
the coma and air hunger of diabetic acidosis.

Kussmaul disease
(koos´moul) polyarteritis nodosa.

Kussmaul paralysis
Kussmaul-Landry paralysis acute idiopathic polyneuritis.

Kussmaul respiration
a distressing, paroxysmal dyspnea affecting both inspiration and expiration, characterized by increased respiratory rate (above 20 per minute), increased depth of respiration, panting, and labored respiration; seen in diabetic acidosis and coma and renal failure. Called also air hunger.

Kussmaul sign
distention of the jugular veins during inhalation, seen in constrictive pericarditis and mediastinal tumor. paradoxical pulse.

kV
kilovolt.

Kveim test
(for sarcoidosis) a skin test using antigen from human sarcoid tissue injected intradermally; any palpable nodule developing at the inoculation site within 6 weeks is biopsied, and histopathologic evidence of epithelioid cell granulomas constitutes a positive reaction. The test is positive in about 60 to 80 per cent of pa...

KVO
keep vein open.

kVp
kilovolts peak.

kwashiorkor
(kwahsh″e-or´kor) a syndrome occurring in infants and young children soon after weaning. It is due to severe protein deficiency, and the symptoms include edema, pigmentation changes of skin and hair, impaired growth and development, distention of the abdomen, and pathologic liver changes.

Kyasanur Forest disease
(ki-as´ә-nldbomacr) a severe type of hemorrhagic fever seen in the Mysore State of India, caused by a flavivirus called the Kyasanur Forest disease virus. The usual animal reservoirs are monkeys and voles, and the vector for human infection is ticks of the genus Haemaphysalis. Besides the fever and hemorrhagic manifesta...

Kyasanur Forest disease virus
a virus of the genus Flavivirus, antigenically related to the Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, transmitted by ticks of the genus Haemaphysalis; it causes Kyasanur Forest disease in forest workers in India.

Külz test
(for β-hydroxybutyric acid) the fermented urine is evaporated to a syrupy consistency, strong sulfuric acid in equal volume is added, and the mixture is distilled. If hydroxybutyric acid is present, α-crotonic acid will be formed, which will crystallize. If, after fermentation, the urine shows dextrorotatory pro...

kymatism
(ki´mә-tiz″әm) myokymia; quivering of muscles.

Kümmell disease
(ke´mәl) compression fracture of a vertebra, with symptoms occurring a few weeks after injury, including spinal pain, intercostal neuralgia, motor disturbances of the lower limbs, and kyphosis that is painful on pressure and easily reduced by extension. Called also post-traumatic spondylitis.

kynocephalus
(ki″no-sef´ә-lәs) a malformed fetus with a head like that of a dog.

kynurenine
(kin-u´rә-nēn″) a metabolite of tryptophan found in microorganisms and in the urine of normal animals; it is a precursor of kynurenic acid and an intermediate in the conversion of tryptophan to niacin.

kyphos
(ki´fos) the hump in the spine in kyphosis.

kyphoscoliosis
(ki″fo-sko″le-o´sis) the combination of kyphosis (backward curvature of the spine) and scoliosis (lateral curvature), as seen in Scheuermann disease.

kyphosis
(ki-fo´sis) abnormally increased convex curvature of the thoracic spine as seen from the side; it may be the result of an acquired disease, an injury, or a congenital disorder or disease. It never develops from poor posture. One of the most common causes is postmenopausal osteoporosis accompanied by anterior vertebral b...

kyphotic pelvis
a deformed pelvis marked by increase of the conjugate diameter at the brim with decrease of the transverse diameter at the outlet.

Kyrle disease
(kir´lә) a rare, chronic type of acquired perforating dermatosis characterized by papular eruptions containing plugs of keratin and cellular debris, often with a foreign body giant cell reaction and pain; the usually discrete lesions may coalesce to form patches and plaques. Called also hyperkeratosis penetrans.

kyrtorrhachic
(kir″to-rak´ik) having a vertebral column in which the lumbar spinal curvature is convex.

Küstner operation
replacement of an inverted uterus through an incision made in the cervix and uterus along the posterior surface.