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

loupe
(lldbomacp) a magnifying lens.

louping ill virus
a virus of the genus Flavivirus transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus; it causes louping ill of sheep, and is transmissible to humans, in whom it may cause meningitis and encephalitis.

louse
(lous) pl. lice any of various grayish, wingless insects parasitic on birds and mammals, including humans; they are usually less than half a centimeter (one sixth of an inch) long. The order that most often attacks humans is called Anoplura (the sucking lice). The causal organisms of typhus, relapsing fever, trench...

louse-borne relapsing fever
a type of relapsing fever caused by infection with Borrelia recurrentis, spread from person to person with a vector of the human body louse, Pediculus humanus corporis, which has humans as its reservoir. The condition occurs in epidemics when people are living in crowded or unsanitary conditions and can be spread either through...

louse-borne typhus
epidemic typhus.

lovastatin
(lo´vә-stat″in) an antihyperlipidemic agent that acts by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis, used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and other forms of dyslipidemia and to lower the risks associated with atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease; administered orally.

Lovén reflex
general vasodilatation of an organ when its afferent nerve is stimulated; this secures a maximal supply of blood to the organ, together with a general rise of blood pressure.

low birth weight
(LBW) see low birth weight infant.

low birth weight (LBW) infant
one that weighs less than 2500 grams at birth. This standard is for infants in developed countries; babies born in many developing countries typically weigh less at birth.

low calorie diet
one containing fewer calories than needed to maintain weight; in the average adult this would be less than 1200 calories per day.

low cardiac output syndrome
see low-output heart failure.

low fat diet
one containing limited amounts of fat.

low fiber diet
low residue diet.

low purine diet
one for mitigation of gout, omitting meat, fowl, and fish and substituting milk, eggs, cheese, and vegetable protein.

low residue diet
one with a minimum of cellulose and fiber and restriction of connective tissue found in certain cuts of meat. It is prescribed for irritations of the intestinal tract, after surgery of the large intestine, in partial intestinal obstruction, or when limited bowel movements are desirable, as in colostomy patients. Called al...

low salt diet
low sodium diet a diet containing very little sodium chloride, sometimes prescribed for hypertension or for edematous states.

low transverse abdominal incision
see illustration.

low tyramine diet
a special diet required by patients receiving MAO inhibitors; foods that contain tyramine and must not be consumed include aged cheeses, red wine, beer, cream, chocolate, and yeast.

low vision
impairment of vision such that there is significant visual handicap but also significant usable residual vision; such impairment may involve visual acuity, visual fields, or ocular motility.

low-density lipoprotein
(LDL) a class of lipoproteins responsible for transport of cholesterol to tissues other than the liver. It is formed in the circulation when very-low-density lipoproteins are degraded first to intermediate-density lipoproteins and then to LDL. High levels of cholesterol in the blood mean increased risk of ischemic heart...

low-frequency hearing loss
low-tone hearing loss sensorineural hearing loss of tones at low frequencies.

low-grade
(lo´grād´) occurring near the low end of a range, as of a fever or malignancy.

low-output heart failure
that in which cardiac output is diminished, associated with cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy.

low-power field
the area of a slide visible under the low magnification system of a microscope.

Lowe disease
(lo) oculocerebrorenal syndrome.

Lowe syndrome
(lo) Lowe-Terrey-MacLachlan syndrome oculocerebrorenal syndrome.

lower airway
the airway from the lower end of the larynx to the ends of the terminal bronchioles.

lower brachial plexus paralysis
atrophic paralysis of the muscles of the forearm and hand due to lesions of the eighth cervical or first dorsal nerve (lower trunk of the brachial plexus). When due to birth trauma it is called Klumpke-Dejerine paralysis.

lower limb
the limb of the body extending from the gluteal region to the foot; it is specialized for weight-bearing and locomotion. See also leg.

lower radicular syndrome
Klumpke paralysis.

lowest lumbar arteries
origin, median sacral artery; branches, none; distribution, sacrum, gluteus maximus muscle.

lowest splanchnic nerve
least splanchnic nerve.

lowest thyroid artery
thyroidea ima artery.

Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome
(loun´ gan´ong lә-vīn´) an electrocardiographic abnormality consisting of a short PR interval and normal QRS complex associated with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Called also short PR syndrome.

Lowsley operation
an operation for repair of simple epispadias, consisting of closing the cleft urethra, splitting the glans, and burying the repaired urethra deep in the soft tissue so that its orifice will be at the normal site.

loxapine
(lok´sә-pēn) a tricyclic antipsychotic agent, used as the hydrochloride and succinate salts; administered orally or intramuscularly.

Loxosceles
(lok-sos´ә-lēz) a genus of six-eyed spiders, some of which have poisonous bites. L. lae´ta is a brown spider of South America and L. reclu´sa is the brown recluse spider of North America.

loxoscelism
(lok-sos´ә-liz-әm) poisoning from the bite of the spiders Loxosceles reclusa and L. laeta. It begins with a painful inflamed vesicle and progresses to a gangrenous slough of skin that can be fatal. It is more common with the South American spider than with the North American one.

lozenge
(loz´әnj) a discoid-shaped, solid, medicinal preparation for solution in the mouth, consisting of an active ingredient incorporated in a suitably flavored base, such as sugar and mucilage, glycerinated gelatin, or a hard sugar candy. Called also troche. a triangular area of tissue marked for excision...

LPN
licensed practical nurse.

Lr
lawrencium

LSA
left sacroanterior (position/presentation of the fetus). See presentation.

LScA
left scapuloanterior (position/presentation of the fetus). See presentation.

LScP
left scapuloposterior (position/presentation of the fetus). See presentation.

LSD
lysergic acid diethylamide, a hallucinogen derived from lysergic acid, a constituent of ergot alkaloids. It has consciousness-expanding effects and is capable of producing a state of mind in which there are hallucinations (false sense perceptions). Called also lysergide. The perceptual changes brought about by LSD in normal persons a...

LSP
left sacroposterior (position/presentation of the fetus). See presentation.

LST
left sacrotransverse (position/presentation of the fetus). See presentation.

LT
lymphotoxin.

LTF
lymphocyte-transforming factor.

Lu
lutetium.

Luc operation
Caldwell-Luc operation.

Lucas sign
distention of the abdomen in the early stages of rickets.

Lucey-Driscoll syndrome
(loo´se dris´kәl) a syndrome of retention jaundice due to defective bilirubin conjugation, occurring in infants; apparently the result of an unidentified factor, presumably a steroid in maternal blood, transmitted to the infant.

lucid interval
a brief period of remission of symptoms in a psychosis. a brief return to consciousness after loss of consciousness in head injury.

lucidity
(loo-sid´ĭ-te) clearness of mind. adj., lu´cid., adj.

lucifugal
(loo-sif´u-gәl) avoiding, or repelled by, bright light.

Lucio phenomenon
a local exacerbation reaction occurring in Lucio leprosy. Initially there is ischemic necrosis of the epidermis due to necrotizing vasculitis of small blood vessels of the subpapillary plexus; next, small erythematous lesions erupt and have central necrosis; later, if the eschar is shed, ulceration can be seen, with event...

lucipetal
(loo-sip´ĭ-tәl) seeking, or attracted to, bright light.

Ludloff sign
swelling and ecchymosis at the base of Scarpa triangle together with inability to raise the thigh when in a sitting posture, a sign of traumatic separation of the epiphysis of the greater trochanter.

Ludwig angina
(lood´vik) a severe form of cellulitis of the submaxillary space and adjacent areas, usually resulting from an infection in the mandibular molars or a penetrating injury of the floor of the mouth. Elevation of the tongue, difficulty in eating and swallowing, edema of the glottis, fever, rapid breathing, and modera...

Ludwig ganglion
a ganglion near the right atrium of the heart, connected with the cardiac plexus.

Luer-Lok
(lldbomacr´lok) a syringe tip that contains grooves so that a needle can be securely screwed to it.

luetic aortitis
syphilitic aortitis.

Luft disease
(looft) a hypermetabolic disorder of striated muscle caused by an abnormal quantity and type of mitochondria producing excessive cellular respiration; it is characterized by profuse perspiration, asthenia, progressive weakness, and an abnormally increased basal metabolic rate.

Lugol solution
(loo´gol) a solution of iodine with potassium iodide, used as a source of iodine in preparation for thyroid surgery and in various staining methods.

lumbago
(lәm-ba´go) pain in the lumbar region of the back, an old popular term for lower back pain. It includes various different conditions caused by factors such as injury, back strain, arthritis, abuse of the back muscles (such as from poor posture, a sagging mattress, or ill-fitting shoes), or any of a number of...

lumbar
(lum´bәr) (-bahr) pertaining to the loins.

lumbar arteries
origin,abdominal aorta; branches, dorsal and spinal branches; distribution, posterior abdominal wall, renal capsule.

lumbar flexure
the ventral curvature in the lumbar region of the back.

lumbar ganglia
the ganglia on the sympathetic trunk, usually four or five on either side.

lumbar nerves
the five pairs of nerves (L1–L5) that arise from the lumbar segments of the spinal cord, each pair leaving the vertebral column below the correspondingly numbered vertebra. The anterior branches of these nerves participate in the formation of the lumbosacral plexus.

lumbar plexus
a plexus formed by the ventral branches of the second to fifth lumbar nerves in the psoas major muscle (the branches of the first lumbar nerve often are included). Click here to view image Lumbar plexus, in yellow, in anterior (A) and later...

lumbar plexus block
regional anesthesia of the anterior and medial aspects of the lower limb by injection of a local anesthetic into the lumbar plexus.

lumbar puncture
introduction of a hollow needle into the subarachnoid space of the spinal canal, usually between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae. It may be done for diagnostic purposes to determine the pressure within the cerebrospinal cavities, to determine presence of an obstruction to flow of cerebrospinal fluid, to remove a specimen ...

lumbar puncture headache
headache in the erect position, and relieved by recumbency, following lumbar puncture, due to lowering of intracranial pressure by leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through the needle tract.

lumbar reflex
dorsal reflex.

lumbar region
the region of the back lying lateral to the lumbar vertebrae. See also loin. lateral region.

lumbar spine
the part of the vertebral column comprising the lumbar vertebrae.

lumbar splanchnic nerves
origin, lumbar ganglia or sympathetic trunk; distribution, upper nerves join celiac and adjacent plexuses, middle ones go to intermesenteric and adjacent plexuses, and lower ones descend to superior hypogastric plexus; modality, preganglionic sympathetic and visceral afferent.

lumbar veins
the veins, four or five on each side, that accompany the corresponding lumbar arteries and drain the posterior wall of the abdomen, vertebral canal, spinal cord, and meninges; the first four usually end in the inferior vena cava, although the first may end in the ascending lumbar vein; the fifth is a tributary of the ilio...

lumbar vertebrae
the five vertebrae between the thoracic vertebrae and the sacrum.

lumbarization
(lum″bәr-ĭ-za´shәn) nonfusion of the first and second segments of the sacrum so that there is one additional articulated vertebra, the sacrum consisting of only four segments.

lumbocostal
(lum″bo-kos´tәl) pertaining to the loin and ribs.

lumbocostoabdominal triangle
that lying between the external oblique muscle of the abdomen, the posterior inferior serratus muscle, the erector muscle of the spine, and the internal oblique muscle of the abdomen.

lumbodynia
(lum″bo-din´e-ә) lumbago.

lumbosacral
(lum″bo-sa´krәl) pertaining to the lumbar and sacral region, or to the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum.

lumbosacral plexus
the lumbar and sacral plexuses considered together, because of their continuous nature.

lumbosacral trunk
a trunk formed by union of the lower part of ventral branch of the fourth lumbar nerve with the ventral branch of the fifth lumbar nerve.

lumbrical muscles of foot
origin, tendons of flexor digitorum longus muscle; insertion, extensor expansions of four lateral toes; innervation, medial and lateral plantar nerves; action, flex metatarsophalangeal joints, extend distal phalanges.

lumbrical muscles of hand
origin, tendons of flexor digitorum profundus muscle; insertion, extensor expansions of the four nonthumb fingers; innervation, median and ulnar nerves; action, flex metacarpophalangeal joint and extend middle and distal phalanges.

lumbricoid
(lum´brĭ-koid) resembling an earthworm; said of ascarids, or intestinal roundworms.

lumbus
(lum´bәs) Latin word meaning loin; a term used in anatomy.

lumen
(loo´mәn) Latin word meaning light. In anatomy, it is to denote the cavity or channel within a tube or tubular organ, such as a blood vessel or the intestine. the SI unit of rate of flow of radiant energy, specifically that of visible light. adj., lu´minal., adj.

luminescence
(loo″mĭ-nes´әns) the property of giving off light without a corresponding degree of heat.

luminophor
(loo´mĭ-nә-for″) a chemical group that gives the property of luminescence to organic compounds.

lumirhodopsin
(loo″mĭ-ro-dop´sin) an intermediate product of exposure of rhodopsin to light.

lump kidney
cake kidney.

lumpectomy
(lәm-pek´tә-me) surgical excision of only the palpable lesion in carcinoma of the breast; called also tylectomy. surgical removal of a mass; see also excisional biopsy.

lunate
(loo´nāt) moon-shaped or crescentic. the lunate bone.

lunate bone
the carpal bone lying between the scaphoid and triquetral bones in the row of carpal bones that is closer to the wrist and farther from the fingers.