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

aortalgia
(a″or-tal´jә) pain in the region of the aorta.

aortic
(a-or´tik) pertaining to the aorta.

aortic aneurysm
aneurysm of the aorta.

aortic arch
the curving portion between the ascending aorta and the descending aorta, giving rise to the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery, and the left subclavian artery. Aortic arch. in fishes and amniote embryos, a series of paired vessels arching from the ventral ...

aortic arch arteritis
pulseless disease.

aortic arch syndrome
any of a group of disorders adding to occlusion of the arteries arising from the aortic arch; such occlusion may be caused by atherosclerosis, arterial embolism, or other conditions. See also pulseless disease.

aortic atresia
congenital absence of the aortic orifice. absence or closure of the aortic orifice, a rare congenital anomaly in which the left ventricle is too small, so that oxygenated blood passes from the left into the right atrium through a septal defect, and the mixed venous and arterial blood passes from the pulmonary arte...

aortic bodies
para-aortic bodies.

aortic cartilage
the second costal cartilage on the right side.

aortic dissection
a dissecting aneurysm of the aorta; the usual site is the thoracic aorta. There are two types, classified according to anatomical location: Type A involves the ascending aorta, and type B originates in the descending aorta. Acute aortic dissection is often fatal within one month of onset.

aortic foramen
aortic hiatus.

aortic incompetence
aortic insufficiency.

aortic insufficiency
inadequate closure of the aortic valve, permitting aortic regurgitation.

aortic murmur
a sound indicative of disease of the aortic valve.

aortic notch
dicrotic notch.

aortic orifice
the opening of the left ventricle into the aorta; called also aortic opening.

aortic regurgitation
backflow of blood from the aorta into the left ventricle, owing to insufficiency of the aortic valve; it may be chronic or acute.

aortic septal defect
a congenital anomaly in which there is abnormal communication between the ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery just above the semilunar valves.

aortic sinuses
pouchlike dilatations at the root of the aorta, one opposite each semilunar cusp of the aortic valve; the coronary arteries originate in them.

aortic stenosis
obstruction to the outflow of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta; in the majority of adult cases the cause is degenerative calcific disease of the aortic valve.

aortic valve
a semilunar valve that separates the left ventricle and the aorta; it opens at the end of diastole, causing the second heart sound.

aortic window
a radiolucent region below the aortic arch, formed by the bifurcation of the trachea, visible in the left anterior oblique radiograph of the heart and great vessels.

aortitis
(a″or-ti´tis) inflammation of the aorta.

aortocoronary
(a-or″to-kor´ә-nar-e) pertaining to or communicating with the aorta and coronary arteries.

aortocoronary bypass
coronary artery bypass.

aortofemoral bypass
insertion of a vascular prosthesis from the aorta to the femoral artery to bypass atherosclerotic occlusions in the aorta and the iliac artery.

aortogram
(a-or´to-gram) a radiograph that serves as a record of aortography.

aortography
(a″or-tog´rә-fe) radiography of the aorta after introduction into it of a contrast material.

aortoiliac bypass
insertion of a vascular prosthesis from the abdominal aorta to the femoral artery to bypass intervening atherosclerotic segments.

aortopathy
(a″or-top´ә-the) any disease of the aorta.

aortoplasty
(a-or´to-plas″te) surgical repair of the aorta; see also aortic reconstruction.

aortorrhaphy
(a″or-tor´ә-fe) suture of the aorta.

aortosclerosis
(a-or″to-sklә-ro´sis) sclerosis of the aorta.

aortotomy
(a″or-tot´ә-me) incision of the aorta.

AP
angina pectoris; anteroposterior; arterial pressure.

APACHE score
(ә-pach´e) [acute physiological assessment and chronic health evaluation] a widely used method for assessing severity of illness in acutely ill patients in intensive care units, taking into account a variety of routine physiological parameters.

apancreatic
(a-pan″kre-at´ik) due to absence of the pancreas.

aparalytic
(a-par″ә-lit´ik) characterized by absence of paralysis.

apathy
(ap´ә-the) lack of feeling or emotions; indifference.

apatite deposition disease
any acute or chronic connective tissue disorder marked by deposition of hydroxyapatite crystals in one or more joints or bursae; such deposition may be primary or it may be secondary to other disorders such as chronic renal failure. Called also calcium hydroxyapatite deposition disease.

APC
abbreviation for the activated form of protein C.

APCC
anti-inhibitor coagulant complex.

ape hand
one with the thumb permanently extended.

aperient
(ә-pēr´e-әnt) mildly cathartic. a substance that is mildly cathartic.

aperistalsis
(a-per″ĭ-stawl´sis) absence of usual peristalsis.

Apert syndrome
(ah-pār´) an inherited disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance, characterized by conical deformity of the head, webbed fingers and toes, and often other skeletal deformities, usually with mental retardation. Called also acrocephalosyndactyly, type I.

Apert-Crouzon disease
(ah-pār´ kroo-zaw´) a disorder formerly believed to combine hand and foot malformations associated with Apert syndrome with the facial characteristics of Crouzon disease; it is now believed to be Apert syndrome with unusually marked facial features.

apertura
(ap″әr-too´rә) pl. apertu´rae Latin word meaning opening.

aperture
(ap´әr-chәr) opening. numerical aperture an expression of the measure of efficiency of a microscope objective.

apex
(a´peks) pl. apexes, a´pices the pointed end of a cone-shaped part. adj., ap´ical., adj. apex of lung the rounded upper extremity of either lung. root apex the terminal end of the root of the tooth.

apex beat
the beat felt over the apex of the heart in the point of maximal impulse.

apex murmur
a heart murmur heard over the apex of the heart.

apex pneumonia
lobar pneumonia limited to the apex of the lung.

apexcardiography
(a″peks-kahr″de-og´rә-fe) graphic recording of low-frequency pulsations at the anterior chest wall over the apex of the heart.

apexogenesis
(a″peks-o-jen´ĕ-sis) normal development of the root apex of a tooth.

APF
acidulated phosphate fluoride, a preparation of sodium fluoride acidulated with phosphoric acid for topical application to the teeth in the prevention of dental caries.

Apgar score
(ap´gahr) a method for determining an infant's condition at birth by scoring the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color. The infant is rated from 0 to 2 on each of the five items, the highest possible score being 10. Each of the factors is rated 60 seconds after birth and again...

APHA
American Public Health Association.

aphagia
(ә-fa´jә) refusal or loss of the ability to swallow. See also dysphagia. refusal to swallow.

aphakia
(ә-fa´ke-ә) absence of the lens of an eye, occurring congenitally or as a result of trauma or surgery. adj., apha´kic., adj.

aphalangia
(a-fә-lan´jә) absence of fingers or toes.

aphasia
(ә-fa´zhә) a type of speech disorder consisting of a defect or loss of the power of expression by speech, writing, or signs, or of comprehension of spoken or written language, due to disease or injury of the brain centers, such as after stroke syndrome on the left side. adj., apha´sic., adj.

aphasiologist
(ә-fa″ze-ol´ә-jist) a specialist in aphasiology.

aphasiology
(ә-fa″ze-ol´ә-je) the scientific study of aphasia and specific neurologic lesions producing it.

aphemia
(ә-fe´me-ә) a term formerly used to describe a type of motor aphasia and more recently proposed as a synonym for apraxia of speech.

apheresis
(af-ә-re´sis) any procedure in which blood is withdrawn from a donor, a portion (such as plasma, leukocytes, or platelets) is separated and retained, and the remainder is retransfused into the donor. Types include erythrocytapheresis, leukapheresis, lymphocytapheresis, plasmapheresis, and plateletpheresis. Called ...

aphonia
(a-fo´ne-ә) loss of the voice; see also dysphonia. mutism.

aphonic
(a-fon´ik) pertaining to aphonia. without audible sound.

aphose
(a´fōz) any subjective visual sensation due to absence or interruption of light sensation.

aphrasia
(ә-fra´zhә) inability to speak or to understand phrases. See also aphasia and mutism.

aphrodisiac
(af″ro-diz´e-ak) arousing sexual desire. a drug that arouses sexual desire.

aphtha
(af´thә) pl. aph´thae a small ulcer, such as the small oval or round ulcers covered with gray exudate and surrounded by a red halo characteristic of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

aphthosis
(af-tho´sis) a condition marked by presence of aphthae.

aphthous stomatitis
recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

aphthous ulcer
a small painful ulcer in the mouth, usually remaining for five to seven days and healing without scarring; seen in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

apical
(ap´ĭ-kәl) pertaining to an apex.

apical abscess
one at the apex of an organ. a suppurative inflammatory reaction involving the tissues surrounding the apical portion of a tooth, occurring in acute and chronic forms. Called also alveolar abscess.

apical foramen
an opening at or near the apex of the root of a tooth.

apical granuloma
periapical granuloma.

apical murmur
apex murmur.

apical pneumonia
apex pneumonia.

apical pulse
the pulse over the apex of the heart, as heard through a stethoscope or palpated.

apical segmental vein
apical vein a vein draining the apical segment of the superior lobe of the right lung and emptying into the right superior pulmonary vein.

apical space
&n

apical zone
a narrow area along the mucous membrane over the apexes of the roots of the teeth.

apicectomy
(a″pĭ-sek´tә-me) excision of the apex of the petrous portion of the temporal bone.

apicitis
(a″pĭ-si´tis) inflammation of the apex of the lung or of the root of a tooth.

apicoectomy
(a″pĭ-ko-ek´tә-me) excision of the apical portion of the root of a tooth through an opening in overlying tissues of the jaw.

apicoposterior segmental vein
apicoposterior vein a vein draining the apicoposterior segment of the superior lobe of the left lung and emptying into the left superior pulmonary vein.

apicostomy
(a″pĭ-kos´tә-me) dental trephination.

apiotherapy
(a″pe-o-ther´ә-pe) the therapeutic use of products from bees, especially bee venom.

aplacental
(a-plә-sen´tәl) having no placenta.

aplanatic
(ap″lә-nat´ik) correcting or not affected by spherical aberration.

aplasia
(ә-pla´zhә) defective development or complete absence of an organ due to failure of development of the embryonic tissues or cells. a hematologic disorder in which the normal progression of cell generation and development does not occur. adj., aplas´tic., adj.

aplastic anemia
any form of anemia caused by bone marrow failure or aplasia of the marrow. This may be due to chemical factors such as drugs, to physical factors such as radiation, to infection by a virus, or to idiopathic congenital defects of the stem cells of the bone marrow. It is characterized by a reduction or depletion of hemopoie...

aplastic crisis
a sickle cell crisis in which there is a temporary stop in the formation of bone marrow.

Apley compression test
(for torn meniscus) with the patient lying prone and the examiner's knee placed on the posterior thigh of the leg being examined, the examiner flexes and externally rotates the tibia while gripping the ankle, then presses the tibia downward. An increase in pain on compression indicates a torn meniscus.

apnea
(ap´ne-ә) cessation of breathing, especially during sleep. It usually occurs in adults (see sleep apnea), but some types occur in newborn infants.

apneumia
(ap-noo´me-ә) congenital absence of the lungs.

apneusis
(ap-noo´sis) sustained, gasping inhalation followed by short, inefficient exhalation, which can continue to the point of asphyxia; it is often associated with lesions in a respiratory center of the brain. adj., apneu´stic., adj.