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

reimplantation
(re″im-plan-ta´shәn) replantation.

reinfection
(re″in-fek´shәn) a second infection by the same pathogenic agent, or a second infection of the same person or organ by a different pathogenic agent.

reinfection tuberculosis
a new infection with tuberculosis in a patient who was previously infected and cured.

reinforcement
(re″in-fors´mәnt) the increasing of force or strength. In the psychological theory of behaviorism, presentation of a stimulus following a response that increases the frequency of subsequent responses. This is a key concept in operant conditioning. negative reinforcement ...

reinfusate
(re″in-fu´zāt) fluid for reinfusion into the body, usually after being subjected to a treatment process.

reinfusion
(re″in-fu´zhәn) infusion of body fluid that has previously been withdrawn from the same individual, such as of ascitic fluid after ultrafiltration.

Reinke space
a potential space between the vocal ligament and the overlying mucosa.

reinnervation
(re″in-әr-va´shәn) restoration of nerve function to a part from which it was lost; it may occur spontaneously or be achieved by nerve grafting.

Reinsch test
(for heavy metals, including arsenic, mercury, bismuth, antimony, and large amounts of selenium, tellurium, and sulfide) insert a strip of clean copper into the suspected acidified liquid or finely ground tissue, and boil; if one or more heavy metals are present, a coating will form on the copper strip.

reintegration
(re″in-tә-gra´shәn) biological integration. the restoration of harmonious mental function after disintegration of the personality in mental illness.

Reisseisen muscles
(rīs´i-sen) the smooth muscle fibers of the smallest bronchi.

Reissner membrane
the thin anterior wall of the cochlear duct, separating it from the scala vestibuli.

Reiter syndrome
(ri´tәr) a triad of symptoms of unknown etiology comprising urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis (the dominant feature), appearing concomitantly or sequentially associated with mucocutaneous manifestations of keratoderma blennorrhagicum, circinate balanitis, and stomatitis, chiefly affecting young men, ...

rejection
(re-jek´shәn) after a graft or transplant, the immune response of the recipient to foreign tissue cells, with production of antibodies and eventually destruction of the transplanted organ. acute rejection , acute cellular rejection , cellular rejection ...

relapse
(re´laps) (rә-laps´) to fall back into an illness after a period of remission. the return of a disease weeks or months after its apparent cessation.

relapsing fever
either of two similar infectious diseases caused by infection with species of Borrelia.Louse-borne relapsing fever is spread between humans by contamination from secretions of the human body louse, Pediculus humanus corporis, and can occur in epidemics wherever people are living in crowded, unsanitary conditions. Tick-borne relapsing...

relation
(re-la´shәn) the condition or state of one object or entity when considered in connection with another. object relations the emotional bonds existing between an individual and another person, as contrasted with one's interest in, and love for, oneself; usually described in ...

relative analgesia
in dental anesthesia, a maintained level of conscious sedation short of general anesthesia, usually induced by inhalation of nitrous oxide and oxygen.

relative near point
the near point for both eyes with the employment of accommodation.

relative polycythemia
a loss of plasma volume without the change in red blood cell mass of absolute polycythemia, so that the red cells become more concentrated and the hematocrit is elevated.

relative refractory period
the part of the refractory period from approximately −60 mV during phase 3 to the end of phase 3; during this time a depressed response to a strong stimulus is possible.

relative scotoma
an area of the visual field in which perception of light is only diminished, or loss is restricted to light of certain wavelengths.

relative survival rate
a statistical comparison between the rate of patients in a cohort surviving for a certain length of time and the survival rate of a comparable group in the general population.

relaxant
(re-lak´sәnt) causing relaxation. an agent that causes relaxation. muscle relaxant an agent that specifically aids in reducing muscle tension.

relaxation atelectasis
atelectasis because of large amounts of air or fluid in the pleural cavity, as in pneumothorax or pleural effusion. Called also passive atelectasis.

relaxation response
a group of physiologic changes that cause decreased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and consequent relaxation after stimulation of certain regions of the hypothalamus. They are the opposite of the alarm reaction and may be self-induced through techniques such as meditation and biofeedback.

relaxation suture
any suture that can be loosened to relieve tension if necessary.

relaxation therapy
any of a number of techniques for inducing the relaxation response, used for the reduction of stress; such techniques are helpful in the management of a wide variety of chronic illnesses that are caused or exacerbated by stress.

release
(re-lēs´) a setting free. surgical incision or cutting of soft tissue to bring about relaxation. tendon release tenotomy. wheelchair pressure release weight shift of a person confined to a wheelchair.

release phenomenon
the unhampered activity of a lower center when a higher inhibiting control is removed.

releasing factors
factors elaborated in one structure (such as the hypothalamus) that effect the release of hormones from another structure (such as the adenohypophysis). The term is applied to substances of unknown chemical structure; those of established chemical identity are called releasing hormones.

releasing hormones
hormones elaborated in one structure that cause the release of hormones from another structure, such as those from the hypothalamus that act on the adenohypophysis. The term is applied to substances of established chemical identity; those whose chemical structure is still unknown are called releasing factors.

reliability
(re-li″ә-bil´ĭ-te) in statistics, the tendency of a system to be resistant to failure. precision (def. 2).

relief incision
one made to relieve tension in tissue.

REM
rapid eye movement (see sleep).

rem
(rem) roentgen equivalent man; the amount of any ionizing radiation which has the same biological effect as 1 rad of x-rays; 1 rem = 1 rad × RBE (relative biological effectiveness).

REM sleep behavior disorder
(RBD) a sleep disorder of the parasomnia group characterized by abnormal electromyographic activity, altered dreams, and violent behaviors, often leading to self-injury, during REM sleep.

Remak paralysis
paralysis of the extensor muscles of the fingers and wrist.

Remak reflex
plantar flexion of the first three toes and sometimes of the foot, with extension of the knee on stroking of the upper anterior surface of the thigh, a sign of a spinal cord lesion; called also femoral reflex.

Remak sign
either polyesthesia or a prolongation of the lapse of time before a painful impression is perceived, seen in tabes dorsalis.

remedy
(rem´ә-de) anything that cures, palliates, or prevents disease. adj., reme´dial., adj.

remifentanil
(rem″ĭ-fen´tә-nil) an opioid analgesic used as the hydrochloride salt as an adjunct to anesthesia.

remineralization
(re-min″әr-әl-ĭ-za´shәn) restoration of mineral elements, as of calcium salts to bones or teeth.

remission
(re-mish´әn) diminution or abatement of the symptoms of a disease; the period during which such diminution occurs.

remittence
(re-mit´әns) temporary abatement, without actual cessation, of symptoms.

remittent
(re-mit´әnt) having periods of abatement and of exacerbation.

remittent fever
a fever in which the diurnal variation is 1° C or more, but in which the temperature never falls to a normal level; see malaria.

remnant removal disease
familial dysbetalipoproteinemia.

remodeling
(re-mod´әl-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling absorption of bone tissue and simultaneous deposition of new bone; in normal bone the two processes are in dynamic equilibrium.

remote memory
the ability to recall events from the distant past.

removable partial denture
a partial denture made so that it can readily be removed from the mouth.

ren
(ren) pl. re´nes Latin word meaning kidney; a term used in anatomy.

renal
(re´nәl) pertaining to the kidney; called also nephric.

renal anemia
anemia occurring as a complication of chronic kidney disease, mainly due to deficiency of erythropoietin in the blood.

renal artery
origin, abdominal aorta; branches, ureteral branches, inferior suprarenal artery; distribution, kidney, suprarenal gland, ureter.

renal artery stenosis
narrowing of one or both renal arteries by atherosclerosis or by fibrous dysplasia or hyperplasia, so that renal function is impaired (see ischemic nephropathy). Increased renin release by the affected kidney causes renovascular hypertension, and bilateral stenosis may result in chronic renal failure.

renal calculus
kidney stone.

renal capsules
the investing tissue around the kidney, divided into the fibrous renal capsule and the adipose renal capsule.

renal cell carcinoma
carcinoma of the renal parenchyma, composed of tubular cells in varying arrangements; called also clear cell carcinoma.

renal clearance
the rate at which a substance is removed from the blood via the kidneys; types commonly measured are creatinine clearance, inulin clearance, and urea clearance.

renal clearance tests
laboratory tests that determine the ability of the kidney to remove certain substances from the blood. The most commonly used is the creatinine clearance test, which is a measure of the glomerular filtration rate.

renal corpuscle
malpighian corpuscle.

renal cortex
the granular outer layer of the kidney, composed mainly of glomeruli and convoluted tubules, extending in columns between the pyramids that constitute the renal medulla.

renal dwarf
a person with renal dwarfism.

renal dwarfism
dwarfism caused by renal failure.

renal dysplasia
a congenital disorder of the kidney, with persistence of cartilage, undifferentiated mensenchyme, and immature collecting tubules, as well as with abnormal lobar organization and nearly always cysts; it may be unilateral or bilateral and total or subtotal. Total bilateral dysplasia is rapidly fatal in the neonatal period,...

renal failure
inability of the kidney to maintain its normal functions, so that waste products and metabolites accumulate in the blood; it eventually affects most body systems because of lack of maintenance of fluid balance and regulation of the electrochemical composition of body fluids (acid-base balance), as well as blood pressure. ...

renal function test
kidney function test.

renal hypertension
hypertension associated with or due to renal disease with a factor of parenchymatous ischemia.

renal insufficiency
disordered kidney function that is verifiable by quantitative tests; it may progress to renal failure.

renal medulla
the inner part of the substance of the kidney, composed chiefly of collecting tubules, and organized into a group of structures called the renal pyramids.

renal papilla
the blunted apex of a renal pyramid.

renal pelvis
the funnel-shaped expansion of the upper end of the ureter into which the renal calices open; it is usually within the renal sinus, but under certain conditions a large part of it may be outside the kidney (extrarenal pelvis).

renal plasma flow
(RPF) the amount of plasma that perfuses the kidneys per unit time, approximately 90 per cent of the total constitutes the effective renal plasma flow, the portion that perfuses functional renal tissue such as the glomeruli.

renal pyramids
the conical masses constituting the medulla of the kidney, the base toward the cortex and culminating at the summit in the renal papilla.

renal replacement therapy
therapy such as hemodialysis or transplantation that takes the place of nonfunctioning kidneys. See also continuous renal replacement therapy.

renal sinus
a recess in the substance of the kidney, occupied by the renal pelvis, calices, vessels, nerves, and fat.

renal threshold
that concentration of a substance (threshold substance) in plasma at which it begins to be excreted in the urine.

renal tuberculosis
disease of the kidney due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually from bacillemia in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Pathological changes include granulomatous inflammation and caseous necrosis of kidney tissue. Called also nephrotuberculosis.

renal tubular acidosis
(RTA) a metabolic acidosis resulting from impairment of the reabsorption of bicarbonate by the renal tubules, characterized by low plasma bicarbonate and high plasma chloride; the urine is alkaline.

renal tubule
one of the minute canals composing the substance of the kidney and secreting, collecting and conducting the urine; in the glomerulus they have a basement membrane and epithelial lining.

renal veins
two veins, one from each kidney, that receive blood from the interlobar veins, with the left also receiving blood from the left testicular (or ovarian), left suprarenal, and (sometimes) inferior phrenic veins; they empty into the inferior vena cava at the level of the second lumbar vertebra. intrarenal veins.

renal-retinal dysplasia
renal-retinal syndrome Senior-Loken syndrome.

renal-retinal syndrome
Senior-Loken syndrome.

Renaut bodies
pale granules in the degenerating nerve fibers in muscular dystrophy.

Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome
(ron-du´ ōs´lәr va´bәr) hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Renese
(rә-nēs´) trademark for preparations of polythiazide, a diuretic used for treatment of hypertension and edema. Renese-R also contains reserpine.

reniform
(ren´ĭ-form) kidney-shaped.

renin
(re´nin) a proteolytic enzyme synthesized, stored, and secreted by the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney; it plays a role in regulation of blood pressure by catalyzing the conversion of the plasma glycoprotein angiotensinogen to angiotensin I, which is later converted to the potent vasoconstrictorangiotensin II. See also re...

reninism
(re´nin-iz″әm) a condition marked by overproduction of renin. primary reninism a syndrome of hypertension, hypokalemia, hyperaldosteronism, and elevated plasma renin activity, due to proliferation of juxtaglomerular cells in the kidney.

renipelvic
(ren″ĭ-pel´vik) pertaining to the renal pelvis.

rennin
(ren´in) the milk-curdling enzyme found in the gastric juice of human infants (before pepsin formation) and abundantly in that of the calf and other ruminants; a preparation from the stomach of the calf is used to coagulate milk protein to facilitate its digestion. Rennin catalyzes the conversion of casein from a ...

renogastric
(re″no-gas´trik) pertaining to the kidney and stomach.

renogram
(re´no-gram) a graphic record of kidney function produced by externally monitoring the level of radioactivity in the bladder as a radiopharmaceutical agent enters it from the kidney via the ureters.

renography
(re-nog´rә-fe) radiography of the kidney.

renointestinal
(re″no-in-tes´tĭ-nәl) pertaining to the kidney and intestine.

renointestinal reflex
inhibition of motility of the intestine resulting from renal irritation.

renoprival
(re″no-pri´vәl) pertaining to or caused by lack of kidney function.

renoprotective
(re″no-prә-tek´tiv) protecting the kidney against harmful effects such as of a drug or other chemical.

renorenal reflex
a reflex pain or anuria in a sound kidney in cases in which the other kidney is diseased.