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

Spielmeyer-Vogt disease
(shpēl´mi-әr fōkt´) Vogt-Spielmeyer disease.

spigelian hernia
an abdominal hernia through the linea semilunaris (spigelian line).

spigelian lobe
caudate lobe.

spike
(spīk) a sharp upward deflection in a curve or tracing, as on the encephalogram. the attachment of an intravenous infusion set to the bag containing the solution.

spike potential
the initial, very large change in transmembrane potential of an excitable cell during excitation.

spina
(spi´nә) Latin word meaning spine (def. 1).

spina bifida
(spi´nә bif´ĭ-dә) a developmental anomaly characterized by defective closure of the vertebral column and its encasement of the spinal cord; the spinal cord and meninges may or may not protrude through the defect (see spina bifida cystica and spina bifida occulta). It is further classified according to the ext...

spina bifida anterior
(spi´nә bif´ĭ-dә an-tēr´e-әr) a defect of closure on the anterior surface of the bony spinal canal, often associated with defective development of internal organs of the chest or abdomen.

spina bifida cystica
(spi´nә bif´ĭ-dә sis´tĭ-kә) spina bifida in which there is protrusion through the defect of a cystic swelling that contains the meninges (meningocele) or the meninges and spinal cord (meningomyelocele). Two types of spina bifida cystica shown in transverse sec...

spina bifida occulta
(spi´nә bif´ĭ-dә ә-kul´´tә) spina bifida in which there is a defect in the bony spinal canal without protrusion of the cord or meninges. Diagrammatic cross-section of a muscle spindle showing the intrafusal fibers and afferent and efferent endings.

spina ventosa
(spi´nә ven-to´sә) dactylitis of the bones of the hands or feet, occurring mostly in infants and children, with enlargement of digits, caseation, sequestration, and sinus formation.

spinal
(spi´nәl) pertaining to a spine. pertaining to the spinal(vertebral) column.

spinal anesthesia
anesthesia due to a spinal lesion. regional anesthesia produced by injection of the agent beneath the membrane of the spinal cord. Called also spinal block.

spinal artery
any artery supplying the vertebral column, including the segmental spinal arteries and the anterior and posterior spinal arteries.

spinal block
spinal anesthesia.

spinal canal
the canal formed by the series of vertebral foramina together, enclosing the spinal cord and meninges.

spinal column
vertebral column.

spinal cord
that part of the central nervous system lodged in the spinal canal, extending from the foramen magnum to the upper part of the lumbar region. It is composed of an inner core of gray substance in which nerve cells predominate and an outer layer of white substance in which myelinated nerve fibers predominate. Called also me...

spinal curvature
any of the normal curvatures that occur in the cervical, thoracic, pelvic, and lumbar regions of the vertebral column. abnormal deviation of the vertebral column, as in kyphosis, lordosis, or scoliosis.

spinal fluid
the fluid within the spinal canal.

spinal ganglion
one on the posterior root of each spinal nerve, composed of unipolar nerve cell bodies of the sensory neurons of the nerve. Called also dorsal root ganglion. Spinal ganglion, seen in a cross-section of the spinal cord.

spinal meningitis
inflammation of the meninges of the spinal cord.

spinal muscular atrophy
progressive degeneration of the motor cells of the spinal cord, beginning usually in the small muscles of the hands, but in some cases (scapulohumeral type) in the upper arm and shoulder muscles, and progressing slowly to the leg muscles. Called also Aran-Duchenne disease, Cruveilhier disease, and Duchenne disease.

spinal nerves
the 31 pairs of nerves that arise from the spinal cord and pass out between the vertebrae, including the eight pairs of cervical, twelve of thoracic, five of lumbar, five of sacral, and one pair of coccygeal nerves.

spinal orthosis
one that surrounds the trunk to support or align the vertebral column or to prevent movement after trauma.

spinal paralysis
paralysis due to a lesion of the spinal cord; called also myeloplegia.

spinal point
subnasal point.

spinal poliomyelitis
spinal paralytic poliomyelitis the classic form of the major illness, a type of paralytic poliomyelitis affecting the spinal cord and characterized primarily by flaccid paralysis in a limb or limbs.

spinal puncture
lumbar puncture.

spinal reflex
any reflex action mediated through a center of the spinal cord.

spinal shock
the loss of spinal reflexes after injury of the spinal cord, seen in the muscles innervated by the cord segments below the site of the lesion.

spinal sign
a sign of pleurisy consisting of tonic contraction of the spinal muscles on the diseased side.

spinal stenosis
narrowing of the vertebral canal, nerve root canals, or intervertebral foramina of the lumbar spine, caused by encroachment of bone upon the space; symptoms are caused by compression of the cauda equina and include pain, paresthesias, and neurogenic claudication. The condition may be either congenital or due to spinal deg...

spinal subarachnoid block
a condition in which the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is interfered with by an obstruction in the spinal canal; called also dynamic block.

spinal tuberculosis
skeletal tuberculosis of the vertebral column, with osteitis or cavities; characteristics include back stiffness, pain on movement, tenderness on pressure, prominence of certain vertebral spines, and occasionally abdominal pain, abscess formation, and paralysis. Called also Pott disease and tuberculous spondylitis.

spinalis capitis muscle
origin, spines of upper thoracic and lower cervical vertebrae; insertion, occipital bone; innervation, branches of cervical nerves; action, extends head.

spinalis cervicis muscle
origin, lower part of nuchal ligament, spinous processes of seventh cervical and sometimes two upper thoracic vertebrae; insertion, spinous processes of axis and sometimes of second to fourth cervical vertebrae; innervation, branches of cervical nerves; action, extends vertebral column.

spinalis muscle
the medial division of the erector spinae muscle, including the spinalis capitis, spinalis cervicis, and spinalis thoracis muscles.

spinalis thoracis muscle
origin, spinous processes of two upper lumbar and two lower thoracic vertebrae; insertion, spines of upper thoracic vertebrae; innervation, branches of thoracic and lumbar nerves; action, extends vertebral column.

spinate
(spi´nāt) thorn-shaped; having thorns.

spindle
(spin´dәl) a pin tapered at one end or both ends, or something with this shape. the thin, tapering figure occurring during metaphase of cell division, composed of microtubules radiating from the centrioles and connecting to the chromosomes at their centromeres. Called also mitotic spindle. ...

spindle cataract
axial fusiform cataract.

spindle cell
any of various cells that are shaped like spindles, being more or less round in the middle with two ends that are pointed.

spindle cell carcinoma
squamous cell carcinoma marked by rapidly proliferating spindle cells.

spindle cell sarcoma
any sarcoma composed of spindle cells. a type of soft tissue sarcoma whose cells are spindle-shaped.

spindle fibers
the microtubules radiating from the centrioles during mitosis and forming a spindle-shaped configuration.

spine
(spīn) a thornlike process or projection; called also acantha and spina. vertebral column.

spine of helix
a small bit of cartilage projecting forward on the front part of the helix at about the junction of the helix and its crus, just above the tragus.

spine of scapula
a triangular plate of bone attached at one edge to the back of the scapula.

spine sign
reluctance to flex the spine anteriorly, owing to pain, a sign of poliomyelitis or meningitis.

Spinelli operation
the operation of splitting the anterior wall of the prolapsed inverted uterus, reversing the organ, and restoring it to the correct position.

spinifugal
(spi-nif´u-gәl) conducting or moving away from the spinal cord.

spinipetal
(spi-nip´ә-tәl) conducting or moving toward the spinal cord.

spinnbarkeit
(spin´bahr-kīt) the formation of an elastic thread by mucus of the uterine cervix when it is drawn out; the time of maximum elasticity usually precedes or coincides with ovulation.

spinobulbar
(spi″no-bul´bәr) pertaining to the spinal cord and medulla oblongata.

spinobulbar muscular atrophy
(SBMA) an X-linked, adult-onset disorder with degeneration of the lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord; characterized by distal limb amyotrophy and bulbar signs, including atrophy and fasciculations of the tongue and dysphagia, as well as androgen insensitivity with gynecomastia, testicular a...

spinocellular
(spi″no-sel´u-lәr) pertaining to prickle cells.

spinocellular carcinoma
squamous cell carcinoma (def. 1).

spinocerebellar
(spi″no-ser″ә-bel´әr) pertaining to the spinal cord and cerebellum.

spinocerebellar ataxia
any of a group of hereditary disorders, some of autosomal dominant and others of autosomal recessive inheritance, characterized by progressive degeneration of the cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and sometimes other regions of the brain, with neuronal loss from affected areas and secondary degenerati...

spinomuscular paralysis
paralysis due to lesion of the gray matter of the spinal cord; see also spinal muscular atrophy.

spinous
(spi´nәs) pertaining to or like a spine.

spinous foramen
a hole in the great wing of the sphenoid for the middle meningeal artery.

spinous layer
stratum spinosum.

spinous process of vertebra
a part of a vertebra projecting backward from the arch, giving attachment to muscles of the back.

spiradenoma
(spīr″ad-ә-no´mә) a type of benign adnexal tumor that is poorly differentiated; it may tend towards either eccrine or apocrine gland tissue.

spiral
(spi´rәl) winding like the thread of a screw; called also helical. a winding structure; see also coil and helix.

spiral arteries
spiral endometrial arteries tightly coiled branches of the uterine radial arteries, which supply the endometrium and in pregnancy supply blood to the intervillous space.

spiral bandage
a roller bandage applied spirally around a limb.

spiral canal of cochlea
cochlear duct.

spiral canal of modiolus
a canal following the course of the bony spiral lamina of the cochlea and containing the spiral ganglion.

spiral fold
a spirally arranged elevation in the mucosa of the first part of the cystic duct.

spiral fracture
one in which the bone has been twisted and the fracture line resembles a spiral.

spiral ganglion
cochlear ganglion.

spiral lamina
a double plate of bone winding spirally around the modiolus, dividing the spiral canal of the cochlea into the scala tympani and scala vestibuli. a bony projection on the outer wall of the cochlea in the lower part of the first turn.

spiral modiolar artery
origin,common cochlear artery; branches, none; distribution, internal auditory meatus, running a spiral course around the auditory nerve.

spiral organ
organ of Corti.

spiral-tip catheter
a type of filiform-tipped catheter with an off-center filiform.

spirilla
(spi-ril´ә) plural of spirillum.

spirillosis
(spi″rĭ-lo´sis) a disease caused by presence of spirilla, such as ratbite fever.

Spirillum
(spi-ril´әm) a genus of gram-negative, spiral or curved bacteria, including one species, S. mi´nus, that is pathogenic for guinea pigs, rats, mice, and monkeys and is the cause of rat-bite fever in humans.

spirillum
(spi-ril´әm) a spiral-shaped bacterium. a member of the genus Spirillum.

spirillum fever
relapsing fever.

spirit
(spir´it) a volatile or distilled liquid. an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic solution of a volatile material. aromatic ammonia spirit , aromatic spirit of ammonia a mixture of ammonia, ammonium carbonate, and other agents for use as an inhalant to revive a perso...

Spirochaetales
(spi″ro-ke-ta´lēz) the spirochetes, an order of bacteria in which some species are free-living and some parasitic; it includes the disease-causing genera Borrelia, Leptospira, and Treponema.

spirochete
(spi´ro-kēt) a highly coiled bacterium; a general term applied to any organism of the order Spirochaetales, which includes the genera Borrelia, Leptospira, and Treponema. Spirochetes cause syphilis, yaws, Lyme disease, and various other diseases. adj., spiroche´tal., adj.

spirochetosis
(spi″ro-ke-to´sis) infection with spirochetes.

spirogram
(spi´ro-gram) a graph of respiratory movements made by the spirometer.

spirograph
(spi´ro-graf) an apparatus for measuring and recording respiratory movements.

spirography
(spi-rog´rә-fe) the graphic measurement of breathing, including breathing movements and breathing capacity; see also spirometry. Called also pneumography.

spiroid
(spi´roid) resembling a spiral.

spirolactone
(spi″ro-lak´tōn) any of a group of compounds capable of opposing the action of sodium-retaining steroids on renal transport of sodium and potassium.

spirometer
(spi-rom´ә-tәr) an instrument for measuring air inhaled into and exhaled out of the lungs; it provides a simple way of determining most of the lung volumes and capacities that are measured in pulmonary function tests.

spirometry
(spi-rom´ә-tre) measurement of the breathing capacity by means of a spirometer; results can record total lung capacity, vital capacity, tidal volume, functional residual capacity, and residual volume. incentive spirometry a goal-oriented inhalation maneuver in which the patient is ...

spironolactone
(spi″rә-no-lak´tōn) a competitive antagonist of aldosterone; it is a potassium-sparing diuretic. It is used in treatment of edema, hypokalemia, primary aldosteronism, and (usually in combination with other drugs) hypertension.

Spitz nevus
a benign compound nevus occurring most often in children before puberty; it is composed of spindle and epithelioid cells located mainly in the dermis, sometimes in association with large atypical cells and multinucleate cells. It has a close histopathological resemblance to malignant melanoma.

splanchnesthetic sensibility
the sensibility to stimuli received by splanchnic receptors.

splanchnic
(splank´nik) pertaining to the viscera.

splanchnic block
regional anesthesia produced by blocking the splanchnic nerves and the celiac ganglia; it is accomplished by injection of the anesthetic agent into the retroperitoneal tissues in the immediate vicinity of the celiac plexuses.

splanchnic nerves
nerves of the blood vessels and viscera, especially the visceral branches of the thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic parts of the sympathetic trunks.