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

pulmonary venoocclusive disease
an idiopathic form of primary pulmonary hypertension, usually seen in children or young adults, characterized by dyspnea and syncope, sometimes with intimal fibrosis, hemoptysis, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and orthopnea.

pulmonary ventilation
a measure of the rate of ventilation, usually in liters per minute, referring to the total exchange of air between the lungs and the environment.

pulmonic
(pәl-mon´ik) pulmonary.

pulmonic regurgitation
backflow of blood from the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle, owing to insufficiency of the pulmonic valve.

pulmonitis
(pool″mo-ni´tis) pneumonitis.

pulmonocoronary reflex
reflex vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries, mediated by the vagus nerves, such as with a pulmonary embolism.

pulp
(pulp) any soft, juicy, animal or vegetable tissue. adj., pul´pal., adj.

pulp amputation
pulpotomy.

pulp atrophy
a degenerative process of the dental pulp, characterized by a diminution in size and wasting away of pulpal cells, usually associated with an interference with nutrition.

pulp canal
root canal.

pulp canal therapy
root canal therapy.

pulp cavity
the pulp-filled central chamber in the crown of a tooth.

pulp test
pulp vitality test a diagnostic test to determine whether the pulp of a tooth is vital (alive) or nonvital (dead).

pulp veins
veins draining the venous sinuses of the spleen.

pulpar cells
the typical cells of the spleen substance.

pulpectomy
(pәl-pek´tә-me) root canal therapy involving complete removal of dental pulp from a tooth.

pulpitis
(pәl-pi´tis) inflammation of dental pulp. irreversible pulpitis severe pulpitis with minimal chance of spontaneous recovery, accompanied by an exudate and often pain. reversible pulpitis pulpitis in which the pulp may recover spontaneously; it is usua...

pulpotomy
(pәl-pot´ә-me) root canal therapy involving partial removal of dental pulp from a tooth.

pulpy
(pul´pe) soft; of the consistency of pulp.

pulpy nucleus
nucleus pulposus.

pulsatile
(pul´sә-tīl) characterized by a rhythmic pulsation.

pulsation
(pәl-sa´shәn) a rhythmic beat, as of the heart.

pulse
(puls) pulsation. the beat of the heart as felt through the walls of a peripheral artery, such as that felt in the radial artery at the wrist. What is felt is not the blood pulsing through the arteries but a shock wave that travels along the walls of the arteries as the heart contracts.

pulse curve
sphygmogram.

pulse pressure
the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. If the systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg, the pulse pressure is 40 mm Hg; the normal pulse pressure is between 30 and 40 mm Hg.

pulse rate
the rate of the pulse, measured as number of pulsations in an artery per unit of time; normally between 60 and 80 per minute in an adult.

pulse therapy
administration of medication in short intensive courses at regular intervals.

pulse wave
the elevation of the pulse felt by the finger or shown graphically in a recording of pulse pressure.

pulsed wave Doppler ultrasonography
Doppler ultrasonography in which a single transducer alternately transmits and records ultrasonic waves. It can be used to determine the site of signal origin precisely but cannot record signals with high velocities. See also continuous wave Doppler ultrasonography.

pulseless disease
an inflammatory and stenotic disease of medium and large arteries, with a strong predilection for the aortic arch and its branches (brachiocephalic trunk, left subclavian artery, and left common carotid artery). Pulses are commonly absent in involved vessels, leading to symptoms associated with ischemia of the brain, eyes...

pulseless electrical activity
(PEA) continued electrical rhythmicity of the heart in the absence of effective mechanical function; it may be due to uncoupling of ventricular muscle contraction from electrical activity or may be secondary to cardiac damage with respiratory failure and cessation of cardiac venous return. Called also electr...

pulsion
(pul´shәn) a pushing outward.

pulsion hernia
a hernia produced by sudden increase of intra-abdominal pressure.

pulsus
(pul´sәs) Latin word meaning pulse.

pulsus alternans
(pul´sәs awl-tur´nanz) alternating pulse.

pulsus bigeminus
(pul´sәs bi-jem´ĭ-nәs) bigeminal pulse.

pulsus bisferiens
(pul´sәs bis-fēr´e-әnz) a pulse characterized by two strong systolic peaks separated by a midsystolic dip, most commonly occurring in pure aortic regurgitation with stenosis.

pulsus celer
(pul´sәs sel´әr) quick pulse.

pulsus differens
(pul´sәs dif´әr-enz) inequality of the pulse observable at corresponding sites on either side of the body.

pulsus paradoxus
(pul´sәs par″ә-dok´sәs) paradoxical pulse.

pulsus parvus et tardus
(pul´sәs pahr´vәs et tahr´dәs) a small hard pulse that rises and falls slowly.

pulsus tardus
(pul´sәs tahr´dәs) slow pulse.

pultaceous
(pәl-ta´shәs) like a poultice; pulpy.

pulvinar
(pәl-vi´nәr) a prominent, cushionlike mass of nuclei in the brain that forms part of the posterior end of the thalamus; it partly overhangs the rostral colliculus and its underside is near, but separated from, the geniculate body. It receives fibers from other thalamic nuclei and gives off many projections t...

pumice
(pum´is) a substance consisting of silicates of aluminum, potassium, and sodium; used in dentistry as an abrasive.

pump
(pump) an apparatus for drawing or forcing liquid or gas. to draw or force liquids or gases.

pump oxygenator
heart-lung machine.

punch biopsy
one in which tissue is obtained by a punch-type instrument.

punchdrunk
(punch´drunk″) a traumatic encephalopathy of prizefighters resulting from cumulative cerebral concussions, with general slowing of mental functions, bouts of confusion, and scattered memory loss.

punctate
(pungk´tāt) spotted; marked with points or punctures.

punctate cataract
blue cataract. coronary cataract.

punctate keratoderma
punctate keratosis an autosomal dominant form of palmoplantar keratoderma in which the lesions are localized in multiple points on the palms and soles.

punctiform
(pungk´tĭ-form) like a point.

punctograph
(pungk´to-graf) an instrument for radiographic localization of foreign bodies.

punctum
(pungk´tәm) Latin word meaning a point or small spot.

punctum caecum
(pungk´tәm se´cәm) blind spot.

punctum lacrimale
(pungk´tәm lak″rĭ-ma´le) lacrimal point.

punctum proximum
(pungk´tәm prok´sĭ-mәm) near point.

punctum remotum
(pungk´tәm re-mo´tәm) far point.

puncture
(pungk´chәr) the act of piercing or penetrating with a pointed object. a wound so made. tracheoesophageal puncture surgical creation of a tracheoesophageal fistula to hold a one-way plastic valve to restore speech after laryngectomy.

puncture wound
penetrating wound.

Punnett square
(pun´әt) a graphic depiction in grid form of how genes from each parent might combine in an offspring.

PUO
pyrexia of unknown origin.

pupa
(pu´pә) the second stage in the development of an insect, between the larva and the imago. adj., pu´pal., adj.

pupil
(P) (pu´pil) the opening in the center of the iris through which light enters the eye.

pupilla
(pu-pil´ә) Latin word meaning pupil; a term used in anatomy.

pupillary light reflex
pupillary r. (def. 1).

pupillary reflex
contraction of the pupil on exposure of the retina to light. any reflex involving the iris, resulting in change in the size of the pupil; these occur in response to various stimuli, such as change in illumination or point of fixation, sudden loud noise, or emotional stimulation.

pupillary zone
the inner of the two regions into which the anterior surface of the iris is divided by the collarette.

pupillometer
(pu″pĭ-lom´ә-tәr) an instrument for measuring the width or diameter of the pupil.

pupillometry
(pu″pĭ-lom´ә-tre) measurement of the diameter or width of the pupil of the eye.

pupilloplegia
(pu″pĭ-lo-ple´jә) Adie pupil.

pupilloscopy
(pu″pĭ-los´kә-pe) skiametry; retinoscopy.

pupillostatometer
(pu-pil″o-stә-tom´ә-tәr) an instrument for measuring the distance between the pupils.

pure flutter
atrial flutter in which the atrial rhythm is regular.

pure red cell anemia
anemia characterized by absence of red cell precursors in the bone marrow. It may be acquired or congenital; the latter is called congenital hypoplastic anemia.

purgation
(pәr-ga´shәn) evacuation (def. 2).

purgative
(pur´gә-tiv) cathartic.

purge
(purj) to cleanse or purify; to remove undesirable substances from something. to cause evacuation of feces.

purified chick embryo cell vaccine
an inactivated virus vaccine used for pre- and postexposure rabies immunization, prepared from rabies virus grown in cultures of chicken fibroblasts; administered intramuscularly.

purified water
water obtained by either distillation or deionization; used when mineral-free water is required.

purine
(pu´rēn) a heterocyclic compound that is the nucleus of the purine bases such as adenine and guanine (which occur in DNA and RNA), and xanthine and hypoxanthine.

purine bases
a group of compounds of which purine is the base, including adenine, guanine, uric acid, xanthine, and theobromine; adenine and guanine occur in nucleic acids. Click here to view image Purine and pyrimidine bases. (A), Purine and some substitute...

purine bodies
purine bases.

purine-free diet
low purine diet.

purinergic receptors
membrane receptors widely expressed in the brain, peripheral tissues, and circulating blood cells, that bind purine bases or nucleotides. Most mediate their responses by G proteins.

Purinethol
(pu´rēn-thol) trademark for a preparation of mercaptopurine, an antineoplastic agent and immunosuppressant.

Purkinje cells
large branching cells of the middle layer of the cerebellar cortex.

Purkinje fibers
modified cardiac fibers in the subendocardial tissue that constitute the terminal ramifications of the conducting system of the heart. The term is sometimes used loosely to denote the entire system of conducting fibers.

Purkinje layer
ganglionic layer of cerebellum.

Purkinje phenomenon
as the intensity of illumination decreases and the eye becomes scotopic, the region of maximum visual acuity shifts from red-yellow to blue-green, the reds becoming less luminous, the blues more luminous. Called also Purkinje effect or shift.

Purkinje system
a portion of the conducting system of the heart (systema conducens cordis), usually referring specifically to the Purkinje network (rami subendocardiales).

purple
(pur´pәl) a color between blue and red. a substance of this color used as a dye or indicator. visual purple rhodopsin.

purposive sample
a type of nonprobability sample in which the researcher consciously selects specific elements or subjects for inclusion in order to ensure inclusion of certain characteristics relevant to the study.

purpura
(pur´pu-rә) any of a group of conditions characterized by ecchymoses or other small hemorrhages in the skin, mucous membranes, or serosal surfaces; causes include blood disorders, vascular abnormalities, and trauma. any of several conditions similar to the traditional purpura group, which may be caus...

purpura annularis telangiectodes
(pur´pu-rә an″u-lar´is tә-lan″je-ek-to´dēz) a rare type of chronic pigmented purpura in which pinpoint reddened lesions coalesce to form a ring-shaped or continuously linked pattern, commonly beginning in the lower limbs and becoming generalized. Called also Majocchi disease.

purpura fulminans
(pur´pu-rә ful´mĭ-nanz) a form of nonthrombocytopenic purpura seen mainly in children, usually after an infectious disease, marked by fever, shock, anemia, and sudden, rapidly spreading symmetrical skin hemorrhages of the lower limbs, often associated with extensive intravascular thromboses and gangrene.

purpura hemorrhagica
(pur´pu-rә hem″ә-raj´ĭ-kә) primary thrombocytopenic purpura.

purpura senilis
(pur´pu-rә se-ni´lis) dark purple to red ecchymoses on the upper and lower limbs of elderly persons.

purse-string suture
a type of suture commonly used to bury the stump of the appendix, a continuous running suture being placed about the opening, and then drawn tight.