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


macula densa
a zone of heavily nucleated cells in the distal renal tubule that feed information to the juxtaglomerular cells.

macula flava
a yellow nodule at one end of a vocal cord.

macula folliculi
follicular stigma.

macula lutea
macula lutea retinaemacula retinae an irregular yellowish depression on the retina, lateral to and slightly below the optic disk; receives and analyzes light only from the center of the visual field.

macula sacculi
a thickening on the wall of the saccule where the epithelium contains hair cells that receive and transmit vestibular impulses.

macula utriculi
a thickening in the wall of the utricle where the epithelium contains hair cells that are stimulated by linear acceleration and deceleration and by gravity.

maculae
(mak´u-le) plural of macula.

maculae acusticae
the macula sacculi and macula utriculi considered together.

maculae atrophicae
(mak´u-le ә-tro´fĭ-se) white patches resembling scars formed on the skin by atrophy.

maculae ceruleae
(mak´u-le sә-roo´le-e) small gray-blue macules found on the chest, abdomen, thighs, or upper arms in pediculosis pubis, which are especially noticeable in light-skinned individuals.

macular atrophy
anetoderma.

macular degeneration
breakdown of cells in the macula lutea, resulting in a loss of central vision in the affected eye; peripheral vision is not affected. There are several varieties; most appear in persons 50 to 60 years of age (age-related macular degeneration), but two varieties is congenital and seen in younger people (see Best disease and Star...

macular reflex
in ophthalmoscopy, an annular reflection of light surrounding the macula retina.

macule
(mak´ūl) a discolored skin lesion that is not elevated above the surface; see also patch and spot. Called also macula. adj., mac´ular, mac´ulate., adj. macula (def. 2).

maculocerebral
(mak″u-lo-ser´ә-brәl) cerebromacular.

maculopapular
(mak″u-lo-pap´u-lәr) both macular and papular.

maculopathy
(mak″u-lop´ә-the) any patholigic condition of the macula retinae; see also macular degeneration and retinopathy. age-related maculopathy age-related macular degeneration.

MacWilliam test
(for albumin) take 20 mL of urine and add 2 drops of a saturated solution of sulfosalicylic acid: if albumin is present, a cloudiness or precipitate will be seen; if other proteolytic digestion products are present, this precipitate will disappear on boiling, but appear again on cooling.

mad cow disease
bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

madarosis
(mad″ә-ro´sis) loss of eyelashes or eyebrows or both.

Madelung deformity
(mah´dә-loong) deviation of the hand toward the radius, caused by excessive growth of the lower part of the ulna or shortening of the radius.

Madelung disease
(mah´dә-loong) Madelung deformity. multiple symmetric lipomatosis.

Madura foot
mycetoma of the foot.

maduromycosis
(mә-du″ro-mi-ko´sis) mycetoma.

maedi-visna virus
a lentivirus that is the etiologic agent of a type of pneumonia in sheep.

mafenide
(maf´әn-īd) a compound used in the form of the acetate and hydrochloride salts for topical treatment of infections.

Maffucci syndrome
(mә-foo´che) enchondromatosis associated with multiple cutaneous or visceral hemangiomas. Called also Kast syndrome.

magaldrate
(mag´әl-drāt) a chemical combination of aluminum and magnesium hydroxides and sulfate; used as an oral antacid.

magenblase syndrome
excessive gas in the stomach, owing to habitual taking in of air with the food.

magenta
(mә-jen´tә) fuchsin or other salt of rosaniline.

maggot
(mag´әt) the soft-bodied larva of an insect, especially one living in decaying flesh.

Magill forceps
forceps used to introduce an endotracheal tube into the trachea during nasotracheal intubation.

magma
(mag´mә) a thick, viscous, aqueous suspension of finely divided, insoluble, inorganic material. a thin, pastelike substance composed of organic material.

Magnan sign
formication.

magnesia
(mag-ne´zhә) magnesium oxide. See also milk of magnesia.

magnesium
(Mg) (mag-ne´ze-әm) a chemical element, atomic number 12, atomic weight 24.312. Its salts are essential in nutrition, being required for the activity of many enzymes, especially those concerned with oxidative phosphorylation. It is found in the intra- and extracellular fluids and is excreted...

magnesium carbonate
an antacid.

magnesium chloride
an electrolyte replenisher and a pharmaceutic necessity for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis fluids.

magnesium citrate
a saline laxative used for bowel evacuation before diagnostic procedures or surgery of the colon; administered orally.

magnesium hydroxide
an antacid and cathartic.

magnesium oxide
an antacid and a sorbent in pharmaceutical preparations; called also magnesia.

magnesium salicylate
see salicylate.

magnesium silicate
MgSiO3, a silicate salt of magnesium; the most common hydrated forms found in nature are asbestos and talc.

magnesium sulfate
Epsom salt; an anticonvulsant and electrolyte replenisher, also used as a laxative and local antiinflammatory.

magnesium trisilicate
a combination of magnesium oxide and silicon dioxide with varying proportions of water; used as a gastric antacid.

magnet
(mag´nәt) an object having polarity (oppositely charged ends) and capable of attracting iron.

magnet operation
removal of a fragment of steel or iron from the eyeball by means of a powerful magnet.

magnetic field
that portion of space about a magnet in which its action is perceptible.

magnetic field therapy
the application of permanent or pulsed magnetic fields to specific areas of the body or to acupoints for therapeutic purposes; in addition to the FDA-approved use of pulsed magnetic fields for the treatment of nonunion fractures, it has been tried for a large number of other conditions, usually self-administered by patients.

magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) a noninvasive nuclear procedure for imaging tissues of high fat and water content that cannot be seen with other radiologic techniques. The MRI image gives information about the chemical makeup of tissues, thus making it possible to distinguish normal, cancerous, atherosclerotic, and traumatized tissue masse...

magnetism
(mag´nә-tiz-әm) the attraction or repulsion characteristic of a magnet.

magnetoencephalography
(MEG) (mag-ne″to-en-sef″ah-log´ra-fe) a noninvasive diagnostic technique that directly measures the magnetic fields produced by electrical currents in the brain. A vaultlike device is necessary to ensure that the accuracy of the test is not affected by interference from magnetic fields...

magnetropism
(mag-net´ro-piz-әm) tropism in response to a magnetic field.

magnification
(mag″nĭ-fĭ-ka´shәn) apparent increase in size, as under the microscope. the process of making something appear larger, as by use of lenses. the ratio of apparent (image) size to real size.

Magnus and de Kleijn neck reflexes
extension of both limbs on the same side, or one limb or part of a limb, with increase of tonus on the side to which the chin is turned when the head is rotated, and flexion with loss of tonus on the side to which the occiput points; it usually indicates decerebrate rigidity.

Magpie test
(for salts of mercury) stannous chloride is added to the suspected solution; a white and gray precipitate is formed, consisting of metallic mercury and mild calomel.

Mahaim fibers
short direct connections between the lower atrioventricular node or bundle of His and the ventricular septum, resulting in preexcitation of the ventricular septum and a delta wave. Only right sided connections have been described.

Mahler sign
a steady increase of pulse rate without corresponding elevation of temperature; seen in thrombosis.

main
(mă) French word meaning hand. main en griffe (ah grēf´) clawhand.

mainstreaming
(mān´strēm-ing) the placement of children with disabilities in classes with the general population of school children; special services tailored to the student's educational needs may still be provided.

maintainer
(mān-tān´әr) something that keeps or maintains existence or continuity in another thing. space maintainer an orthodontic appliance, fixed or removable, that maintains the space left by a prematurely lost tooth or space that will be filled by a tooth not yet erupte...

maintenance
(mān´tә-nәns) term used for measures that provide a stable state over a long period of time, as opposed to more short-term remedial effects; said of a drug or treatment. the stable state that such a procedure or drug provides.

maintenance of wakefulness test
(MWT) measurement of the length of time for which an individual can remain awake in a dark, quiet room; used as a measure of physiological sleepiness.

maintenance protein
the smallest amount of protein upon which the normal conditions of the body can be maintained.

maintenance therapy
therapy of chronically ill patients that is aimed at keeping the pathology at its present level and preventing exacerbation.

Maisonneuve fracture
spiral fracture of the neck of the fibula, associated with disruption of the tibiofibular syndesmosis.

Maisonneuve sign
marked hyperextensibility of the hand, a symptom of Colles fracture.

Majocchi disease
(mah-zhok´e) annular telangiectatic purpura.

Majocchi granuloma
trichophytic granuloma.

major amputation
amputation of the lower limb above the ankle or of the upper limb above the wrist.

major basic protein
(MBP) a cationic 10- to 15-kD protein occurring in eosinophilic granules and having cytotoxic activity against many parasites; it can also induce tissue injury in allergic and inflammatory diseases and, because it induces injury to the bronchial epithelium, is linked to asthma.

major depression
major depressive disorder.

major depressive disorder
a mood disorder characterized by the occurrence of one or more major depressive epsiodes and the absence of any history of manic, mixed, or hypomanic episodes.

major histocompatibility complex
(MHC) the chromosomal region containing genes that control the histocompatibility antigens; in humans it controls the HLA antigens.

major mood disorders
severe, full-blown mood disorders, namely major depressive disorder and bipolar disorders.

Makonde virus
Uganda S virus.

mal
(mahl) French word meaning disease. grand mal (grahn) grand mal epilepsy. mal de Meleda (dә mel´ә-dah) [Fr. “Meleda sickness”] a rare, chronic, autosomal recessive ...

mala
(mŭ´lә) cheek (def. 1). zygomatic bone. adj., ma´lar., adj.

malabsorption
(mal″әb-sorp´shәn) impaired intestinal absorption of nutrients.

malabsorption syndrome
any of a group of disorders marked by subnormal intestinal absorption of dietary constituents, and thus excessive loss of nutrients in the feces; it may be due to a digestive defect, a mucosal abnormality, or lymphatic obstruction.

malacia
(mә-la´shә) softening of a part or tissue related to a disease or other abnormal condition. tracheal malacia tracheomalacia.

malacoplakia
(mal″ә-ko-pla´ke-ә) a circumscribed area of softening on the membrane lining a hollow organ, as the ureter, urethra, or renal pelvis. malacoplakia vesicae a flat yellow growth on the mucosa of the bladder and ureters, resulting from infection.

malacosis
(mal″ә-ko´sis) malacia.

malacosteon
(mal″ә-kos´te-on) softening of the bones; osteomalacia.

malacotic
(mal″ә-kot´ik) soft.

maladjustment
(mal″ә-just´mәnt) in psychiatry, failure to fit one's inner needs to the environment; inability to meet the challenges of daily life.

malady
(mal´ә-de) disease.

malaise
(mă-lāz´) a feeling of uneasiness or indisposition.

malalignment
(mal″ә-līn´mәnt) displacement, especially of the teeth from their normal relation to the line of the dental arch.

malar bone
zygomatic bone.

malar point
a point on the external tubercle of the malar bone (os zygomaticum).

malar process
zygomatic process of the maxilla.

malaria
(mә-lar´e-ә) a serious infectious disease seen in many warm regions of the world, caused by a protozoal infection; it is one of the world's leading causes of death, although the majority of patients recover. Malaria is caused by the protozoal parasite Plasmodium, which is carried by mosquitoes of the genus A...

malarial parasite
Plasmodium.

Malarone
(mal´ә-rōn) trademark for a combination preparation of proguanil and atovaquone, an antimalarial agent.

Malassezia
(mal″ә-se´zhә) a genus of yeastlike fungi. M. fur´fur is a species normally found on normal skin but capable of causing tinea versicolor in susceptible hosts. Called also Pityrosporon.

malassimilation
(mal″ә-sim″ĭ-la´shәn) imperfect, faulty, or disordered assimilation. the inability of the gastrointestinal tract to take up one or more ingested nutrients, whether due to faulty digestion (maldigestion) or to impaired intestinal mucosal transport (malabsorption).

malate
(ma´lāt) (mal´āt) a salt of malic acid.

malathion
(mal″ә-thi´on) an organophosphorusinsecticide used in topical applications for lice.

malaxate
(mal´әk-sāt) to knead, as in making pills.