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

laser lithotripsy
lithotripsy using a laser to break up the calculus.

LASIK
laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis.

Lasix
(la´siks) trademark for preparations of furosemide, a diuretic.

Lassa fever
(las´ah) an acute, often fatal type of hemorrhagic fever, occurring in West Africa and caused by a virulent arenavirus. Symptoms include progressive prostration, sore throat, ulcerations of the mouth or throat, rash, and general aches and pains, which may be followed by serous effusions, generalized hemorrhages, and fat...

Lassa virus
an arenavirus existing in several serologically distinct strains and distributed throughout West and Central Africa. The natural reservoir is the multimammate mouse, in which it causes an inapparent infection; human infection (Lassa fever) results from contact with mouse urine.

lassitude
(las´ĭ-tldbomacd) weakness; exhaustion.

latah
(lah´tah) a culture-specific type of jumping disease seen chiefly among the Malays and other people of Southeast Asia, characterized by hypersuggestibility, echolalia, echopraxis, coprolalia, disorganization, and automatic obedience. It may be identical to myriachit.

latanoprost
(lә-tan´o-prost″) an agent applied topically to the conjunctiva in treatment of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

late apnea
cessation of respiration in a newborn for more than 45 seconds after spontaneous breathing has been established and sustained.

late distal hereditary myopathy
distal myopathy that sets in usually after age 40, does not affect life span and first affects the small muscles of the hands and feet and then spreads proximally.

latency
(la´tәn-se) a state of seeming inactivity or being latent. the time between the instant of stimulation and the beginning of a response. latency stage.

latency period
latent period. latency stage.

latency stage
the incubation period of any infectious disorder. the quiescent period following an active period in certain infectious diseases, during which the pathogen remains dormant for a variable length of time before again initiating signs of active disease. in psychoanalytic theory, the relatively quiescent...

latent
(la´tәnt) dormant or concealed; not manifest; potential.

latent allergy
allergy that does not have overt symptoms but may be detected by tests.

latent nystagmus
that occurring only when one eye is covered.

latent pacemaker
ectopic pacemaker.

latent period
a seemingly inactive period, as an incubation period or the time between the instant of stimulation and the beginning of response (latency, def. 2).

latent tetany
tetany elicited by the application of electrical and mechanical stimulation.

latent virus
masked virus.

laterad
(lat´әr-ad) toward the lateral aspect.

lateral
(lat´әr-әl) denoting a position farther from the median plane or midline of the body or a structure. pertaining to a side.

lateral ampullary nerve
the branch of the vestibular nerve that innervates the ampulla of the lateral semicircular duct, ending around the hair cells of the ampullary crest.

lateral anterior malleolar artery
origin, anterior tibial artery; branches, none; distribution, ankle joint.

lateral circumflex femoral artery
origin, deep femoral artery; branches, ascending, descending, and transverse branches; distribution, hip joint, thigh muscles.

lateral circumflex femoral veins
veins following the path of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and emptying into the femoral or the deep femoral vein.

lateral column of spinal cord
the lateral portion of the spinal cord, in transverse section seen as a horn; present only in the thoracic and upper lumbar regions.

lateral cricoarytenoid muscle
one of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx; origin, lateral surface of cricoid cartilage; insertion, muscular process of arytenoid cartilage; innervation, recurrent laryngeal nerve; action, pulls vocal folds together.

lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm
origin, continuation of musculocutaneous nerve; distribution, skin over radial side of forearm and sometimes an area of skin of back of hand; modality, general sensory.

lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh
origin, lumbar plexus—L2–L3; distribution, skin of outside and front of thigh; modality, general sensory.

lateral direct veins
veins of the lateral ventricle, draining into the great cerebral vein.

lateral frontobasal artery
origin, middle cerebral artery: branches, none; distribution, cortex of lateroinferior frontal lobe.

lateral funiculus of spinal cord
the lateral mass of fibers on either side of the spinal cord, between the anterolateral and posterolateral sulci.

lateral geniculate body
either of the two metathalamus eminences, one on each side just lateral to a medial geniculate body, marking the termination of the optic tract.

lateral hermaphroditism
presence of gonadal tissue typical of one sex on one side of the body and typical of the other sex on the opposite side.

lateral horn of spinal cord
the horn-shaped configuration presented by the lateral column of the spinal cord in transverse section.

lateral inferior genicular artery
origin, popliteal artery; branches, none; distribution, knee joint.

lateral marginal vein
a vein running along the lateral side of the top of the foot, returning blood from the dorsal venous arch, dorsal venous network, and superficial veins of the sole and draining into the small saphenous vein.

lateral medullary syndrome
Wallenberg syndrome.

lateral nasal process
lateral nasal prominence the more lateral of the two limbs of a horseshoe-shaped elevation in the future nasal region of the embryo; it participates in formation of the side and wing of the nose.

lateral nystagmus
involuntary horizontal movement of the eyes.

lateral occipital artery
origin, third segment of posterior cerebral artery; branches, anterior temporal, intermediate temporal, and posterior temporal branches; distribution, cortex of anterior, middle, and posterior parts of temporal lobe.

lateral occipitotemporal gyrus
the lateral portion of the fusiform gyrus.

lateral palpebral arteries
origin, lacrimal artery; branches, none; distribution, eyelids, conjunctiva.

lateral pectoral nerve
origin, lateral cord of brachial plexus or anterior divisions of upper and middle trunks (C5–C7); distribution, usually several nerves supplying the pectoralis minor muscle and acromioclavicular and shoulder joints; modality, motor and general sensory.

lateral pectoral region
the most lateral part of the pectoral region, bounded laterally by the axillary region.

lateral pivot shift test
(for integrity of the anterior cruciate ligament) the patient lies prone with the hip flexed and the knee extended; the examiner gradually flexes the knee while pushing the outside of the knee medially and internally rotating the tibia. A thud or jerk at 30°–40° of flexion indicates deficiency of the anterior crucia...

lateral plantar artery
origin, posterior tibial artery; branches, plantar arch and plantar metatarsal arteries; distribution, sole of foot and toes.

lateral plantar nerve
origin, the smaller of terminal branches of tibial nerve; branches, muscular, superficial, and deep branches; distribution, lying between first and second layers of muscles of sole, it supplies the quadratus plantae, abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, adductor hallucis, interossei, and second, third, and fourt...

lateral popliteal nerve
common peroneal nerve.

lateral pterygoid muscle
origin,SUPERIOR HEAD—infratemporal surface of greater wing of sphenoid and infratemporal crest; INFERIOR HEAD—lateral surface of lateral pterygoid plate; insertion, neck of condyle of mandible, temporomandibular joint capsule; innervation, mandibular nerve; action, protrudes mandible, opens jaws, moves mandible from side ...

lateral pterygoid nerve
nerve to lateral pterygoid.

lateral rectus muscle of eyeball
origin, common tendinous ring; insertion, lateral side of sclera; innervation, abducens nerve; action, abducts (rolls toward side of head) eyeball.

lateral recumbent position
Sims position.

lateral region
either of the two abdominal regions that are in central lateral locations, one to the left (left lateral region) and one to the right (right lateral region) of the umbilical region. Called also flank and lumbar region.

lateral sacral arteries
origin, posterior trunk of internal iliac artery; branches, spinal branches; distribution, structures about coccyx and sacrum. There are usually two on each side (superior and inferior).

lateral sacral veins
veins that follow the lateral sacral arteries, help to form the lateral sacral plexus, and empty into the internal iliac vein or the superior gluteal veins.

lateral sclerosis
a form seated in the lateral columns of the spinal cord. It may be primary, with spastic paraplegia, rigidity of the limbs, and increase of the tendon reflexes but no sensory disturbances, or secondary to myelitis, with paraplegia and sensory disturbance.

lateral sulcus of cerebrum
sylvian fissure.

lateral superior genicular artery
origin, popliteal artery; branches, none; distribution, knee joint, femur, patella, contiguous muscles.

lateral supraclavicular nerves
origin, cervical plexus (C3–C4); distribution, descend in the posterior triangle, cross the clavicle, and supply the skin of superior and posterior parts of shoulder; modality, general sensory.

lateral sural cutaneous nerve
origin, common peroneal nerve; distribution, skin of lateral side of back of leg, rarely may continue as the sural nerve; modality, general sensory.

lateral tarsal artery
origin, dorsalis pedis artery; branches, none; distribution, tarsus.

lateral thoracic artery
origin, axillary artery; branches, mammary branches; distribution, pectoral muscles, mammary gland.

lateral thoracic vein
a large vein accompanying the lateral thoracic artery and draining into the axillary vein.

lateral vein of lateral ventricle
a vein passing through the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle to drain the temporal and parietal lobes into the superior thalamostriate vein.

lateral ventricles of brain
lateral cerebral ventricles two cavities, on in each cerebral hemisphere, derived from the cavity of the embryonic tube and containing cerebrospinal fluid.

lateral zone of hypothalamus
a longitudinal division of the hypothalamus, containing part of the preoptic nuclei as well as the supraoptic and tuberal nuclei and the nuclei of the mammillary body.

lateralis
(lat″әr-a´lis) Latin word meaning lateral; a term used in anatomy.

laterality
(lat″әr-al´ĭ-te) a tendency to use preferentially in voluntary motor acts the parts along one side of the body, such as the ear, eye, hand, or leg; see also dextrality, sinistrality, and handedness. crossed laterality the preferential use of contralateral members of...

laterodorsal tegmental nucleus
several nuclear masses of the reticular formations of the pons and midbrain, especially of the latter, where they are in close approximation to the superior cerebellar peduncles.

lateroduction
(lat″әr-o-duk´shәn) movement of an eye or limb to one side.

lateroflexion
(lat″әr-o-flek´shәn) flexion to one side.

laterotorsion
(lat″әr-o-tor´shәn) turning of the eyeball to the left or right on its anteroposterior axis.

lateroversion
(lat″әr-o-vur´zhәn) abnormal turning to one side.

latex
(la´teks) any of a number of thick, white, sticky fluids secreted by certain plants; the variety from Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree, was formerly the main source of commercial rubber. Allergic reactions to natural latex (latex allergy) are common, especially in people who have been sensitized by previous exposure to lat...

latex agglutination test
latex fixation test a diagnostic study used to detect certain antibodies in body fluids; latex particles are used as passive carriers, and particles clump together following the addition of the antibody. One use is as a serologic test for rheumatoid factor in diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

latex allergy
allergy to the natural rubber latex, caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to proteins contained in it. It most often occurs in people who have been repeatedly exposed to latex.

lathyrism
(lath´ә-riz-әm) a morbid condition caused by ingestion of the seeds of leguminous plants of the genus Lathyrus, which includes many kinds of peas; characteristics include spastic paraplegia, pain, hyperesthesia, and paresthesias. Chronic exposure is associated with dissecting aneurysms due to the adverse eff...

latissimus
(lә-tis´ĭ-mәs) Latin word meaning widest. In anatomy, it is used to describe a broad structure.

latissimus dorsi muscle
origin, spines of lower thoracic vertebrae, lumbar and sacral vertebrae through attachment to thoracolumbar fascia, iliac crest, lower ribs, inferior angle of scapula; insertion, floor of intertubercular sulcus of humerus; innervation, thoracodorsal nerve; action, adducts, extends, and rotates humerus medially.

latitude
(lat´ĭ-tdbobrd) the recording capability of x-ray film. contrast latitude the ability of a film to record differences in density. film latitude the ability of an emulsion to record a wide range of densities.

latrodectism
(lat″ro-dek´tiz-әm) poisoning caused by the bite of spiders of the genus Latrodectus.

Latrodectus
(lat″ro-dek´tәs) a genus of poisonous spiders. L. mac´tans is the black widow spider, a North American species whose bite may cause severe symptoms or even death.

LATS
(lats) long-acting thyroid stimulator. LATS protector an antibody found in hyperthyroid patients with the capacity to block the long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) from combining with thyroid microsomes.

lattice degeneration of retina
a frequently bilateral, usually benign asymptomatic condition, characterized by patches of fine gray or white lines that intersect at irregular intervals in the peripheral retina, usually associated with numerous, round, punched-out areas of retinal thinning or retinal holes.

latus
(la´tәs) Latin word meaning broad, wide; a term used in anatomy.

latus
(la´tәs) Latin word meaning side or flank; a term used in anatomy.

Latzko operation
Latzko cesarean section. a method of repairing a vesicovaginal fistula by using mucosa denuded from the posterior wall of the vagina as a flap to cover the fistula.

Lauber disease
(lou´bәr) fundus albipunctatus.

laughing disease
kuru.

laughter reflex
laughter brought on by tickling.

Laugier hernia
a femoral hernia perforating Gimbernat ligament.

Laugier sign
a condition in which the styloid process of the radius and of the ulna are on the same level; seen in fracture of the lower part of the radius.

Launois syndrome
(lo-nwah´) pituitary gigantism.

Launois-Bensaude syndrome
(lo-nwah´ bah-sōd´) multiple symmetric lipomatosis.

Laurence-Moon syndrome
(law´rәns mldbomacn´) Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

laureth 9
(law´rәth) a compound used as a spermicide, surfactant, and sclerosing agent.

lavage
(lah-vahzh´) irrigation or washing out of an organ or cavity, as of the stomach or intestine. to wash out, or irrigate. bronchoalveolar lavage a technique by which cells and fluid from bronchioles and lung alveoli are removed for diagnosis of disease or evaluation o...

lavender oil
lavender flowers oil a volatile oil distilled with steam from the fresh flowering tops of a subspecies of Lavandula angustifolia, or prepared synthetically; used as a perfume in pharmaceutical preparations. It is also used internally for loss of appetite, dyspepsia, nervousness, and insomnia, and externally in balneotherapy for ...