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

ptomaine
(to´mān) (to-mān´) any of several toxic bases formed by decarboxylation of an amino acid, often by bacterial action, such as cadaverine, muscarine, and putrescine.

ptomaine poisoning
old, popular, but inaccurate term for food poisoning.

ptosed
(tōst) affected with ptosis.

ptosis
(to´sis) prolapse (def. 1). paralytic drooping of the upper eyelid; called also blepharoptosis. adj., ptot´ic., adj.

PTSD
posttraumatic stress disorder.

PTT
partial thromboplastin time; see activated partial thromboplastin time.

ptyalagogue
(ti-al´ә-gog) sialagogue.

ptyalectasis
(ti″ә-lek´tә-sis) a state of dilatation of a salivary duct. surgical dilation of a salivary duct.

ptyalin
(ti´ә-lin) α-amylase occurring in saliva.

ptyalism
(ti´ә-liz″әm) excessive salivation; called also hypersalivation and sialorrhea.

ptyalocele
(ti-al´o-sēl) a cystic tumor containing saliva.

ptyalogenic
(ti″ә-lo-jen´ik) formed from or by the action of saliva.

ptyalorrhea
(ti″ә-lo-re´ә) ptyalism.

Pu
plutonium.

pubarche
(pu-bahr´ke) the first appearance of pubic hair.

puberty
(pu´bәr-te) the period during which the secondary sex characters begin to develop and the capability of sexual reproduction is attained. In girls it is marked by broadening of the hips, development of the breasts, appearance of pubic hair, and onset of menstruation. In boys it is marked by broadening of the should...

pubes
(pu´bēz) the hairs growing over the pubic region. the pubic region.

pubescence
(pu-bes´әns) the state of approaching puberty.

pubescent
(pu-bes´әnt) arriving at the age of puberty. covered with down or lanugo.

pubic
(pu´bik) pertaining to or lying near the pubes.

pubic arch
the arch formed by the conjoined rami of the ischium and pubis of the two sides of the body.

pubic bone
pubis; the anterior inferior part of the hip bone on either side, joining with its fellow in the middle front at the pubic symphysis.

pubic crest
the thick, rough anterior border of the body of the pubic bone.

pubic hair
pubes (def. 1).

pubic region
hypogastric region.

pubic tubercle
a prominent tubercle at the lateral end of the pubic crest.

pubiotomy
(pu″be-ot´ә-me) surgical separation of the pubis (pubic bone) lateral to the symphysis.

pubis
(pu´bis) pubic bone.

public antigens
antigens of the high-frequency blood groups, so called because they are found in many persons.

public health nurse
community health nurse.

puboanalis muscle
puboanal muscle: fibers from the medial part of the pubococcygeus muscle that decussate (cross over) and blend with the longitudinal muscle layer and fascia of the rectum.

pubococcygeus muscle
pubococcygeal muscle: the anterior portion of the levator ani muscle, originating anterior to the obturator canal; insertion, anococcygeal body and side of coccyx; innervation, pudendal nerve; action, helps support pelvic viscera and resist increases in intra-abdominal pressure.

pubofemoral
(pu″bo-fem´ә-rәl) pertaining to the pubis and femur.

puboperinealis muscle
puboperineal muscle: fibers from the medial part of the pubococcygeus muscle that insert into the perineal body.

puboprostatic
(pu″bo-pros-tat´ik) pertaining to the pubis and prostate.

puboprostaticus muscle
puboprostatic muscle: a part of the anterior portion of the pubococcygeus muscle, inserted in the prostate and the tendinous center of the perineum; innervated by the pudendal nerve, it supports and compresses the prostate and is involved in control of urination.

puborectalis muscle
puborectal muscle: a portion of the levator ani muscle having a more lateral origin from the pubic bone, and continuous posteriorly with the corresponding muscle of the opposite side; innervation, third and fourth sacral nerves; action, helps support pelvic viscera and resist increases in intra-abdominal pressure, maintains per...

pubovaginalis muscle
pubovaginal muscle: a part of the anterior portion of the pubococcygeus muscle, which is inserted into the urethra and vagina; innervated by the pudendal nerve, it is involved in control of urination.

pubovesical
(pu″bo-ves´ĭ-kәl) vesicopubic.

pubovesicalis muscle
pubovesical muscle: smooth muscle fibers extending from the neck of the urinary bladder to the pubis.

puddle sign
a method for detecting ascites in the abdominal cavity: the patient lies prone for five minutes, then rises to hands and knees; the part of the ventral abdomen containing the fluid “puddle” shows a loss of high-frequency vibration that can be detected and measured by flicking a finger against the flank and abd...

pudendal
(pu-den´dәl) pertaining to or supplying the pudendum, such as pudendal nerves or a pudendal block.

pudendal block
regional anesthesia produced by blocking the pudendal nerves, accomplished by injection of the local anesthetic into the tuberosity of the ischium.

pudendal canal
a tunnel formed by a splitting of the obturator fascia, which encloses the pudendal vessels and nerve.

pudendal hernia
labial hernia. perineal hernia.

pudendal nerve
origin, sacral plexus (S2–S4); branches, enters the pudendal canal, gives off the inferior anal nerve, and then divides into the perineal nerve and dorsal nerve of the penis or of the clitoris; distribution, muscles, skin, and erectile tissue of perineum; modality, general sensory, motor, and parasympathetic.

pudendal ulcer
granuloma inguinale.

pudendum
(pu-den´dәm) the external genitalia. especially, the female external genitalia (pudendum femininum), including the mons pubis, labia majora and minora, vestibule, and clitoris; see also vulva.

puerile
(pu´әr-il) pertaining to a child or to childhood; childish.

puerpera
(pu-ur´pәr-ә) a woman who has just given birth to a child.

puerperal
(pu-ur´pәr-әl) pertaining to the puerperium or to a woman during that period.

puerperal fever
a sometimes fatal complication following childbirth, resulting from an infection, usually with a streptococcus, that originates in the birth canal and spreads inward to a focus in the endometrium (see postpartum endometritis). This was a common cause of maternal death until the 19th century, but is rare in modern health care settings...

puerperal mastitis
mastitis occurring after childbirth.

puerperal mortality rate
maternal mortality r.

puerperal phlebitis
septic inflammation of uterine or other veins following childbirth.

puerperium
(pu″әr-pēr´e-әm) the period from the end of the third stage of labor until involution of the uterus is complete, usually lasting between 3 and 6 weeks.

puffer fish
(puf´әr fish) any of several species of marine fish of genera Fugu, Sphaeroides, Tetraodon, and others, which when disturbed can inflate themselves to a spherical shape. Their flesh contains tetrodotoxin and can cause fatal tetrodotoxism.

puffer poisoning
puffer fish poisoning tetrodotoxism (def. 1).

Pulex
(pu´leks) a genus of fleas, several species of which transmit the microorganism causing plague. Pulex irritans a widely distributed species, known as the human flea, which infests domestic animals as well as humans, and may act as an intermediate host of certain helminths.

pulicicide
(pu-lis´ĭ-sīd) an agent destructive to fleas.

pull-through operation
surgery on the intestine in which a diseased segment is removed and a proximal segment is pulled down and through the part just beyond the removed part. See ileoanal pull-through anastomosis, Duhamel operation, Soave operation, and Swenson operation.

pullulation
(pul″u-la´shәn) development by sprouting, or budding.

pulmo
(pool´mo) Latin word meaning lung; a term used in anatomy.

pulmoaortic
(pool″mo-a-or´tik) aorticopulmonary.

pulmonary
(pool´mo-nar″e) pertaining to the lungs; called also pulmonic and pneumonic. pertaining to the pulmonary artery.

pulmonary acid aspiration syndrome
a disorder produced as a complication of inhalation of gastric contents; it may progress to a syndrome resembling acute respiratory distress syndrome.

pulmonary anthrax
inhalational anthrax.

pulmonary arches
the most caudal of the aortic arches; it becomes the pulmonary artery.

pulmonary arteriovenous fistula
a congenital fistula between the pulmonary arterial and venous systems, allowing unoxygenated blood to enter the systemic circulation.

pulmonary artery
pulmonary trunk.

pulmonary artery catheter
any of various cardiac catheters for measuring pulmonary arterial pressures, introduced into the venous system through a large vein and guided by blood flow into the superior vena cava, the right atrium and ventricle, and into the pulmonary artery.

pulmonary artery wedge pressure
(PAWP) pulmonary capillary wedge pressure(PCWP) the pressure within the pulmonary artery, reflecting the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, measured by a swan-ganz catheter wedged into a small pulmonary artery to block the flow from behind.

pulmonary atresia
congenital severe narrowing or obstruction of the pulmonary orifice, with enlargement of the heart, reduced blood supply to the lungs, and right ventricular atrophy. It is usually associated with tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great vessels, or other cardiovascular anomalies.

pulmonary candidiasis
a type of fungal pneumonia caused by infection with Candida species, seen especially in immunocompromised patients or those with malignancies. Called also Candida pneumonia.

pulmonary circulation
the circulation of blood to and from the lungs. Unoxygenated blood from the right ventricle flows through the right and left pulmonary arteries to the right and left lungs. After entering the lungs, the branches subdivide, finally emerging as capillaries which surround the alveoli and release the carbon dioxide in exchang...

pulmonary dysmaturity syndrome
Wilson-Mikity syndrome.

pulmonary edema
diffuse extravascular accumulation of fluid in the tissues and air spaces of the lung due to changes in hydrostatic forces in the capillaries or to increased capillary permeability. It is most often symptomatic of left ventricular heart failure, but a variety of other conditions can also cause it. Early symptoms include coughin...

pulmonary emphysema
a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease characterized by abnormal increase in size of the air spaces beyond the terminal bronchioles, with loss of natural elasticity. It develops slowly and is found most often in heavy smokers, gradually leading to serious disability. Some authorities suggest that a defect in the ...

pulmonary epithelial cells
extremely thin nonphagocytic squamous cells with flattened nuclei; these make up the outer layer of the alveolar wall in the lungs.

pulmonary fibrosis
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

pulmonary function tests
tests used to evaluate lung mechanics, gas exchange, pulmonary blood flow, and blood gases and pH. They are used to evaluate patients in the diagnosis of lung disease, assessment of disease development, or evaluation of the risk of lung-related complications after surgery.

pulmonary hypertension
increased pressure (above 30 mm Hg systolic and 12 mm Hg diastolic) within the pulmonary arterial circulation.

pulmonary incompetence
pulmonary insufficiency.

pulmonary infarction
localized necrosis of lung tissue caused by obstruction of the arterial blood supply, most often due to pulmonary embolism. Clinical manifestations range from the subclinical to pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and tachycardia.

pulmonary insufficiency
pulmonary valve insufficiency. respiratory insufficiency.

pulmonary interstitial emphysema
(PIE) a form of barotrauma that occurs mainly in premature infants, in which air leaks from the alveoli of the lungs into the interstitial space; it is often associated with underlying lung disease or the use of mechanical ventilation.

pulmonary ligament
a vertical fold extending from the hilus to the base of the lung.

pulmonary murmur
pulmonary flow murmurpulmonic murmur one due to disease of the pulmonary valve or artery.

pulmonary orifice
the opening between the pulmonary trunk and the right ventricle of the heart; called also opening of pulmonary trunk.

pulmonary renal syndrome
any of several conditions in which diffuse alveolar hemorrhage occurs in patients with glomerulonephritis , such as with anti-GBM nephritis, or lupus nephritis.

pulmonary schistosomiasis
schistosomiasis in which migrating parasites cause a type of pneumonia, and their eggs (or sometimes the adult worms) cause embolization in pulmonary arterioles. There may also be allergic pneumonia, allergic asthma, and emphysema.

pulmonary shunt
movement of blood from the venous circulation to the arterial circulation without participating in gas exchange, resulting in hypoxemia.

pulmonary stenosis
(PS) narrowing of the pulmonary valve between the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle.

pulmonary sulcus tumor
one at the apex of the lung, extending outward to destroy the ribs and vertebrae and invading the brachial plexus; see also Pancoast syndrome (def. 1). Called also Pancoast tumorand superior sulcus tumor.

pulmonary trunk
a large blood vessel originating from the conus arteriosus of the right ventricle of the heart and splitting into two branches, the right and left pulmonary arteries. The pulmonary trunk and its two branches carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

pulmonary tuberculosis
infection of the lungs by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The first infection is usually mild or symptom-free, but it may develop later into tuberculous pneumonia or some other more serious condition.

pulmonary valve
pulmonic valve the pocketlike cardiac valve that protects the orifice between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.

pulmonary valve insufficiency
inadequate closure of the pulmonary valve, permitting pulmonic regurgitation.

pulmonary vascular resistance
the vascular resistance of the pulmonary circulation; the difference between the mean pulmonary arterial pressure and the left atrial filling pressure divided by the cardiac output. Called also total pulmonary resistance.

pulmonary veins
the four veins, right and left superior and right and left inferior, that return aerated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart.