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


neostigmine
(ne″o-stig´mēn) an anticholinesterase and prokinetic agent used for the symptomatic treatment of myasthenia gravis, for prevention and treatment of postoperative stasis and atony of the gastrointestinal tract or urinary bladder, and for reversal of the effects of certain neuromuscular blocking agents, such as...

neostigmine test
(for myasthenia gravis) used in children, and in adults suspected of having myasthenia gravis but with a negative Tensilon test; neostigmine methylsulfate mixed with atropine sulfate is injected intramuscularly; lessening of myasthenic symptoms is indicative of the disease. Called also Prostigmine test.

neostriatum
(ne″o-stri-a´tәm) the more recently developed part of the corpus striatum, comprising the caudate nucleus and the putamen.

neoteny
(ne-ot´ә-ne) prolongation of the larval form in a sexually mature organism. adj., neoten´ic., adj.

neothalamus
(ne″o-thal´ә-mәs) the phylogenetically newer part of the thalamus, which is connected to the neocortex.

Neotrombicula
(ne″o-trom-bik´u-lә) a genus of mite. N. autumna´lis is a European species whose larva is a type of chigger that causes trombiculiasis of the skin in humans and other animals.

neovascularization
(ne″o-vas″ku-lәr-ĭ-za´shәn) new blood vessel formation in abnormal tissue or in abnormal positions; see also angiogenesis. revascularization.

nephelometer
(nef″ә-lom´ә-tәr) an instrument for measuring the concentration of substances in suspension by the amount of light that is scattered by the suspended particles.

nephelometry
(nef″ә-lom´ә-tre) measurement of the concentration of a suspension by means of a nephelometer. adj., nephelomet´ric., adj.

nephralgia
(nә-fral´jә) pain in a kidney.

nephrectasia
(nef″rek-ta´zhә) distention of the kidney.

nephrectomy
(nә-frek´tә-me) surgical removal of a kidney, a procedure indicated when chronic disease or severe injury produces irreparable damage to the renal cells. Tumors, multiple cysts, and congenital anomalies may also necessitate removal of a kidney. radical nephrectomy remova...

nephric
(nef´rik) renal.

nephritic
(nә-frit´ik) pertaining to or affected with nephritis.

nephritis
(nә-fri´tis) pl. nephri´tides inflammation of the kidney; a focal or diffuse proliferative or destructive disease that may involve the glomerulus, renal tubule, or kidney interstitial tissue. It may occur acutely (more often in children) or chronically, with gradually worsening damage to the kidney until there is e...

nephritogenic
(nә-frit″o-jen´ik) causing nephritis.

nephroblastoma
(nef″ro-blas-to´mә) Wilms tumor.

nephrocalcinosis
(nef″ro-kal″si-no´sis) deposition of calcium phosphate in the renal tubules, resulting in renal insufficiency.

nephrocardiac
(nef″ro-kahr´de-ak) cardiorenal.

nephrocele
(nef´ro-sēl) hernia of a kidney.

nephrocolic
(nef″ro-kol´ik) pertaining to or connecting the kidney and colon, such as a fistula.

nephrocolic ligament
fasciculi from the fatty capsule of the kidney passing down on the right side to the posterior wall of the ascending colon and on the left side to the posterior wall of the descending colon.

nephrocystitis
(nef″ro-sis-ti´tis) inflammation of the kidney and bladder.

nephrogenic
(nef″ro-jen´ik) producing kidney tissue.

nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
a rare type of diabetes insipidus caused by failure of the renal tubules to reabsorb water; there is excessive production of vasopressin, but the tubules fail to respond to it. Characteristics include excessive urination and thirst, growth retardation, and developmental delay. The condition does not respond to therapeutic admin...

nephrogenous
(nә-froj´ә-nәs) arising in a kidney.

nephrogram
(nef´ro-gram) a radiograph of the kidney.

nephrography
(nә-frog´rә-fe) radiography of the kidney; see also pyelography.

nephroid
(nef´roid) resembling a kidney.

nephrolith
(nef´ro-lith) kidney stone.

nephrolithiasis
(nef″ro-lĭ-thi´ә-sis) the formation of kidney stones. the presence of kidney stones in the body.

nephrolithotomy
(nef″ro-lĭ-thot´ә-me) incision of a kidney for removal of kidney stones.

nephrology
(nә-frol´ә-je) the branch of medicine dealing with the kidneys.

nephrolysin
(nĕ-frol´ĭ-sin) nephrotoxin. an antibody that causes destruction of kidney cells.

nephrolysis
(nә-frol´ә-sis) freeing of a kidney from adhesions. destruction of kidney substance. adj., nephrolyt´ic., adj.

nephroma
(nә-fro´mә) a tumor of kidney tissue.

nephromegaly
(nef″ro-meg´ә-le) enlargement of the kidney.

nephron
(nef´ron) the structural and functional unit of the kidney, a complex system of arterioles, capillaries, and tubules. A nephron consists of the renal corpuscle, the proximal convoluted tubule, the descending and ascending limbs of the loop of Henle, the distal convoluted tubule, and the collecting tubule. Each kidney is an ag...

nephronophthisis
(nef″ron-of´thĭ-sis) wasting disease of the kidney substance. familial juvenile nephronophthisis a progressive hereditary kidney disease marked by anemia, polyuria, renal loss of sodium, progressing to chronic renal failure, tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, glom...

nephropathy
(nә-frop´ә-the) any disease of the kidneys; see also nephritis. Called also nephrosis. adj., nephropath´ic., adj.

nephropexy
(nef´ro-pek″se) surgical fixation of a floating or hypermobile kidney (nephroptosis).

nephroptosis
(nef″rop-to´sis) (nef″ro-to´sis) downward displacement of a kidney, usually found in young adult women, especially those who are thin and long-waisted; it can occur when kidney supports are weakened by a sudden strain or blow, or are congenitally defective. Although it may not produce seriou...

nephropyelography
(nef″ro-pi″ә-log´rә-fe) radiography of the kidney and renal pelvis; see also pyelography.

nephrorrhagia
(nef″ro-ra´jә) hemorrhage from the kidney.

nephrorrhaphy
(nef-ror´ә-fe) suture of the kidney.

nephrosclerosis
(nef″ro-sklә-ro´sis) hardening of the kidney, usually associated with hypertension and disease of the renal arterioles. It is characterized as benign or malignant depending on the severity and rapidity of the hypertension and arteriolar changes. arteriolar nephrosclerosis ...

nephroscope
(nef´ro-skōp) an instrument inserted into an incision in the renal pelvis for viewing the inside of the kidney, equipped with three channels for telescope, fiberoptic light input, and irrigation.

nephroscopy
(nә-fros´kә-pe) visualization of the kidney by means of the nephroscope.

nephrosis
(nĕ-fro´sis) nephropathy. any kidney disease, especially one marked by purely degenerative lesions of the renal tubules. adj., nephrot´ic., adj. amyloid nephrosis chronic nephrosis with amyloid degeneration of the median coat of the arteries and glomerular capi...

nephrosonephritis
(nә-fro″so-nә-fri´tis) renal disease with nephrotic and nephritic components.

nephrostolithotomy
(nә-fros″to-lĭ-thot´ә-me) removal of kidney stones through a nephrostomy tube inserted through the abdominal wall into the renal pelvis.

nephrostoma
(nә-fros´tә-mә) one of the ciliated funnel-shaped orifices of the excretory tubules that open into the coelom in the embryo; best seen in lower vertebrates.

nephrostomy
(nә-fros´tә-me) creation of a permanent opening into the renal pelvis. insertion of a catheter through the skin and into the renal pelvis under the guidance of fluorography or ultrasonography; performed for relief of obstruction and to gain access to the upper urinary tract for a variety of pro...

nephrostomy catheter
one used with percutaneous nephrostomy, as for drainage.

nephrostomy tube
a tube inserted into the renal pelvis for direct drainage of the urine through a percutaneous nephrostomy opening.

nephrotic syndrome
(nĕ-frot´ik) any of several conditions marked by massive edema, heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and unusual susceptibility to intercurrent infections. See also nephrosis.

nephrotome
(nef´ro-tōm) one of the segmented divisions of the embryonic mesoderm connecting the somite with the lateral plates of unsegmented mesoderm; the source of much of the urogenital system.

nephrotomogram
(nef″ro-to´mo-gram) a tomogram of the kidney obtained by nephrotomography.

nephrotomography
(nef″ro-to-mog´rә-fe) radiologic visualization of the kidney by tomography after introduction of a contrast medium. adj., nephrotomograph´ic., adj.

nephrotomy
(nә-frot´ә-me) incision of a kidney.

nephrotoxic
(nef´ro-tok″sik) pertaining to or characterized by nephrotoxicity.

nephrotoxicity
(nef″ro-tok-sis´ĭ-te) the quality of being destructive to kidney cells.

nephrotoxin
(nef´ro-tok″sin) a toxin having a specific destructive effect on kidney tissue. Common nephrotoxic agents include drugs such as penicillins, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines; radiographic iodine contrast materials; and heavy metals.

nephrotropic
(nef″ro-tro´pik) having a special affinity for kidney tissue.

nephrotuberculosis
(nef″ro-too-bur″ku-lo´sis) renal tuberculosis.

neptunium
(Np) (nep-too´ne-әm) a chemical element, atomic number 93, atomic weight 237.

Neri sign
a sign of organic hemiplegia, consisting in the spontaneous bending of the knee of the affected side as the leg is passively lifted, the patient being in the dorsal position. with the patient standing, forward bending of the trunk will cause flexion of the knee on the affected side in lumbosacral and iliosac...

nerve
(nurv) a cordlike structure of the body, consisting of a collection of nerve fibers that convey impulses between a part of the central nervous system and a region of the body. Nerves outside the central nervous system are called peripheral nerves and are usually either afferent or efferent. Depending on their function, they a...

nerve block
regional anesthesia by injection of an anesthetic close to the appropriate nerve.

nerve cell
neuron.

nerve center
a collection of nerve cells in the central nervous system that are associated together in the performance of some particular function, such as a primary area or an association area.

nerve compression syndrome
entrapment neuropathy.

nerve fiber
a slender process of a neuron, especially the prolonged axon that conducts nerve impulses away from the cell; classified as either afferent (conducting motor impulses to muscles) or efferent fibers (conducting sensory impulses from receptors in the periphery inwards toward the brain). Fibers are also distinguished as either myelinate...

nerve of external acoustic meatus
origin, auriculotemporal nerve; distribution, skin lining external acoustic meatus, and tympanic membrane; modality, general sensory.

nerve of pterygoid canal
origin, union of deep and greater petrosal nerves; distribution, pterygopalatine ganglion and branches; modality, parasympathetic and sympathetic.

nerve plexus
a plexus composed of intermingled nerve fibers.

nerve roots
the series of paired bundles of nerve fibers that emerge at each side of the spinal cord, termed posterior or anterior according to their position. There are 31 pairs (8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal), with each corresponding posterior and anterior root joining to form a spinal nerve. Certain crania...

nerve sheath
myelin sheath.

nerve sheath tumor
a tumor of the myelin sheath, such as an acoustic neuroma or a schwannoma; called also sheath tumor.

nerve suture
neurorrhaphy.

nerve tissue
nervous tissue the specialized tissue forming the elements of the nervous system.

nerve to lateral pterygoid
origin, mandibular nerve; distribution, lateral pterygoid muscle; modality, motor.

nerve to levator ani
a branch of the sacral plexus that innervates the levator ani muscle.

nerve to medial pterygoid
origin, mandibular nerve; branches, nerve of tensor tympani, nerve of tensor veli palatini; distribution, medial pterygoid, tensor tympani, and tensor veli palatini muscles; modality, motor.

nerve to mylohyoid
origin, inferior alveolar nerve; distribution, mylohyoid muscle, anterior belly of digastric muscle; modality, motor.

nerve to obturator internus
origin, anterior branches of anterior rami of L5, S1–S2; distribution, superior gemellus and obturator internus muscles; modality, general sensory and motor.

nerve to piriformis
origin, posterior branches of anterior rami of S1–S2; distribution, piriformis muscle; modality, general sensory and motor.

nerve to quadratus femoris
origin, anterior branches of anterior rami of L4–L5; distribution, gemellus inferior, anterior quadratus femoris muscle, hip joint; modality, general sensory and motor.

nerve to stapedius
origin, facial nerve; distribution, stapedius muscle; modality, motor.

nerve to subclavius
origin, upper trunk of brachial plexus (C5); distribution, subclavius muscle and sternoclavicular joint; modality, motor and general sensory.

nerve to tensor tympani
origin, nerve to medial pterygoid; distribution, tensor tympani muscle; modality, motor.

nerve to tensor veli palatini
: origin, nerve to medial pterygoid; distribution, tensor veli palatini muscle; modality, motor.

nervimotor
(nur″vĭ-mo´tәr) pertaining to a motor nerve.

nervone
(nur´vōn) a cerebroside isolated from nerve tissue.

nervous
(nur´vәs) neural. unduly excitable or easily agitated.

nervous breakdown
a nonspecific, popular name for any type of mental disorder that interferes with the affected individual's normal activities, often implying a severe episode of sudden onset.

nervous colon
old name for irritable bowel syndrome.

nervous system
the organ system that, along with the endocrine system, coordinates the adjustments and reactions of an organism to internal and environmental conditions. It is composed of two main divisions, the central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system, consisting of the nerves that ru...

nervousness
(nur´vәs-nis) a state of excitability, with great mental and physical unrest.

nervus
(nur´vәs) Latin word meaning nerve.