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

Weill sign
absence of expansion in the subclavicular region of the affected side in infantile pneumonia.

Weill-Marchesani syndrome
(vīl´ mahr-kә-sah´ne) a congenital disorder of connective tissue transmitted as an autosomal dominant or recessive trait, characterized by brachycephaly, brachydactyly, short stature with a broad chest and heavy musculature, reduced joint mobility, spherophakia, ectopia lentis, myopia, and glaucoma; cal...

Weingarten syndrome
(wīn´gahr-tәn) tropical eosinophilia.

Weir Mitchell disease
(wēr´ mich´әl) erythromelalgia.

Weiss reflex
a curved reflection seen with the ophthalmoscope on the fundus of the eye to the nasal side of the disk; believed to be indicative of myopia.

Weisz test
Weisz permanganate test (for urochromogen) to 2 mL of the urine add 4 mL of distilled water and 3 drops of a 1:1000 solution of potassium permanganate; a canary yellow color indicates urochromogen.

Weitbrecht foramen
a foramen in the capsule of the shoulder joint.

Weitbrecht ligament
(vīt´brekt) a small ligamentous band extending from the ulnar tuberosity to the radius.

Welander syndrome
(va´lahn-dәr) late distal hereditary myopathy.

Welch abscess
gas abscess.

welder's lung
a type of siderosis found in welders, caused by inhalation of iron oxide fumes; it is generally asymptomatic, although the presence of other substances in welding fumes may lead to fibrotic lung disease. Called also arc welder's disease or lung.

Welland test
bar-reading test.

Wellens syndrome
(wel´enz) a group of signs indicating critical proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery in patients with unstable angina at a time when there is no pain. It consists of normal or minimally elevated cardiac enzyme levels; little or no elevation of the ST segment; no loss of precordial R wav...

wellness
(wel´nes) optimal health and well-being of an individual owing to maintaining of a balanced lifestyle with practices that promote health; usually considered to include both physical and mental/emotional components.

Wells syndrome
(welz) cellulitis with erythema, edema, and often blistering of the skin accompanied by eosinophilia, flame figures, and a mild fever; episodes last 2 to 6 weeks and recurrences are common. Called also eosinophilic cellulitis.

welt
(welt) wheal.

wen
(wen) a sebaceous or epidermal inclusion cyst. pilar cyst.

Wenckebach block
Mobitz type I block.

Wenckebach phenomenon
(veng´kә-bahk) Mobitz type I block.

Wenzell test
(for strychnine) treat the suspected material with a solution of 1 part potassium permanganate in 2000 parts of sulfuric acid; even a small amount of strychnine will cause color reactions.

Werdnig-Hoffmann disease
(verd´nig hof´mahn) Werdnig-Hoffmann spinal muscular atrophy Type I spinal muscular atrophy, an autosomal recessive condition usually seen in infancy and in siblings rather than in successive generations. It results from degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and is characterized by progressive hypoto...

Werlhof disease
(verl´hof) idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Wermer syndrome
(wur´mәr) multiple endocrine neoplasia, Type I.

Werner Schultz disease
(ver´ner shooltz´) agranulocytosis.

Werner syndrome
(ver´ner) premature aging in the adult, transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait, and characterized principally by sclerodermalike skin changes, involving especially the extremities, cataracts, subcutaneous calcification, muscular atrophy, a tendency to diabetes mellitus, aged appearance of the face, white hair...

Werner-His disease
(ver´ner his´) trench fever.

Wernicke aphasia
receptive aphasia.

Wernicke area
originally a name for a speech center thought to be confined to the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus next to the transverse temporal gyri; the term now refers to a wider zone that also includes the supramarginal and angular gyri.

Wernicke disease
(ver´nĭ-kә) Wernicke encephalopathy.

Wernicke encephalopathy
a neurological disorder characterized by confusion, apathy, drowsiness, ataxia of gait, nystagmus, and ophthalmoplegia; it is due to thiamine deficiency, usually from chronic alcohol abuse. It is almost invariably accompanied by or followed by Korsakoff syndrome and frequently accompanied by other nutritional polyneuropathies. ...

Wernicke sign
hemianopic pupillary reaction.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
(ver´nĭ-kә kor´sә-kof) a disorder of the central nervous system, usually associated with chronic alcoholism and nutritional deficiency such as severe thiamine depletion. It is characterized by a combination of motor and sensory disturbances (Wernicke encephalopathy) and disordered memory function (Korsakoff s...

Wertheim operation
radical hysterectomy; removal of the uterus, tubes, parametrium, tissues surrounding the upper vagina, and pelvic lymphatics.

West Nile encephalitis
a mild, febrile, sporadic disease caused by the West Nile virus, transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, occurring chiefly in the summer; often infection does not lead to encephalitis. It may be of sudden onset, and symptoms may include drowsiness, severe frontal headache, maculopapular rash, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, ...

West Nile fever
(west´ nīl´) West Nile encephalitis.

West Nile virus
a virus of the genus Flavivirus, the cause of West Nile encephalitis; it is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, with wild birds serving as the reservoir. It was originally endemic in Africa, Asia, and Europe, but has now spread to North America.

West syndrome
(west) infantile spasms.

Westergren sedimentation rate
Westergren method the most common method for testing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate; four volumes of whole blood are mixed with one volume of sodium citrate anticoagulant-diluent solution and placed in a tube graduated in millimeters from 0 to 200, filling to the 0 mark; the tube is placed in a vertical position for 1 hour a...

Westermark sign
transient clearing (avascularity) of the normal radiologic shadow of pulmonary tissue distal to a pulmonary embolism.

Western blot test
Western blot.

western equine encephalomyelitis
a viral disease of horses and mules, communicable to humans, primarily children. There is little involvement of the medulla oblongata or spinal cord; symptoms include fever, drowsiness, and convulsions. It occurs in the western United States and Canada and from Mexico to South America.

Weston Hurst disease
(wes´tәn-hurst´) acute necrotizing hemorrhagic encephalomyelitis.

Westphal phenomenon
orbicularis pupillary reflex. Westphal sign.

Westphal pupillary reflex
Westphal-Piltz reflex orbicularis pupillary reflex.

Westphal sign
loss of the knee jerk in tabes dorsalis.

Westphal zone
a zone of the posterior gray column of the spinal cord in the lumbar region; it is said to contain the exodic fibers concerned in the patellar reflex.

Westphal-Piltz phenomenon
orbicularis pupillary reflex.

Westphal-Strümpell disease
(vest´fahl strim´pel) hepatolenticular degeneration.

wet cough
productive cough.

wet lung
pulmonary edema. acute respiratory distress syndrome.

wet nurse
a woman who breastfeeds the infant of another.

wet pleurisy
p. with effusion.

wetting agent
a substance that lowers the surface tension of water to promote wetting.

Wetzel grid
a direct-reading chart for evaluating physical fitness in terms of body build, developmental level, and basal metabolism.

Wetzel test
(for carbon monoxide in blood) to the blood to be examined add 4 volumes of water and treat with 3 volumes of a 1 per cent tannin solution. If CO is present, the blood becomes carmine red; normal blood slowly assumes a grayish hue.

Wever-Bray phenomenon
cochlear microphonic.

Weyers oligodactyly syndrome
(vi´әrz) a congenital syndrome consisting of deficiency of the ulna and ulnar rays, antecubital pterygia, reduced sternal segments, malformations of the kidney and spleen, and cleft lip and palate.

Weyl test
(for creatinine) to the suspected solution add a little of a dilute solution of sodium nitroprusside, and then carefully put in a few drops of a weak solution of sodium hydroxide; a ruby red color results, changing to blue on warming with acetic acid. (for nitric acid in the urine) distill 200 mL of urine with 0.2...

Wharton duct
(hwor´tәn) submandibular duct.

wheal
(hwēl) (wēl) the typical lesion of urticaria, a localized, usually temporary area of edema on the body surface, often accompanied by severe itching. Called also welt. wheal and erythema reaction , wheal and flare reaction the characteristic loca...

wheat weevil disease
miller's lung.

wheelchair
(hwēl´chār) a means of locomotion for non-ambulatory individuals, consisting of a seat on a platform with wheels, which provides comfortable, safe sitting, and a steering mechanism. The disabled person should be evaluated by a physiatrist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist with the assistance...

Wheeler and Johnson test
(for uracil and cytosine) to the unknown solution, gradually add bromine water until the color is permanent; then add an excess of barium hydroxide. A purple color indicates presence of either uracil or cytosine.

wheeze
(hwēz) a continuous sound consisting of a whistling noise with a higher pitch than that of a rhonchus. See also wheezing.

wheezing
(hwēz´ing) breathing with wheeze; it results from constriction or obstruction of the throat, pharynx, trachea, or bronchi. This is commonly a symptom of asthma; in an asthmatic attack, spasm of the bronchi occurs, and air can be forced only with difficulty into and out of the lungs through the trachea. Another caus...

whelk
(hwelk) any of various large ocean-dwelling snails with pointed spiral shells. Some are edible, but others are poisonous.

whelk poisoning
poisoning caused by eating poisonous whelks. It is characterized by intense headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

whettle bones
thoracic vertebrae.

whiplash
(hwip´lash) a nonspecific term applied to injury to the spinal cord and spine due to sudden extension of the neck, as in sudden stopping or propulsion of a vehicle.

whiplash shake syndrome
a constellation of injuries to the brain and eye that may occur when a young child is shaken vigorously while being held by the trunk or limbs with the head unsupported. This causes stretching and tearing of the cerebral vessels and brain substance, often with subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages, and sometimes with...

Whipple disease
(hwip´әl) a malabsorption syndrome caused by an actinomycete, marked by diarrhea, steatorrhea, skin pigmentation, arthralgia and arthritis, lymphadenopathy, central nervous system lesions, and infiltration of the intestinal mucosa with macrophages containing PAS-positive material. Called also intestinal lipo...

Whipple operation
(hwip´-әl) Whipple procedure.

Whipple procedure
(hwip´-әl) a radical pancreaticoduodenectomy with removal of the lower third of the stomach, the entire duodenum, and the head of the pancreas, as well as gastrojejunostomy, choledochojejunostomy, and pancreaticojejunostomy. This procedure is used for carcinoma of the pancreas.

whipworm
(hwip´wurm″) any nematode of the genus Trichuris.

whistle-tip catheter
a urethral catheter with a terminal opening as well as a lateral one.

whistling face syndrome
whistling face–windmill vane hand syndrome craniocarpotarsal dystrophy.

Whitaker test
(hwit´ә-kәr) a test of ureteral function, used to evaluate ureteral peristalsis and obstruction by measuring the resistance of the ureter to perfusion.

white adipose tissue
the adipose tissue composing the bulk of the body fat.

white blood cell count
white cell count leukocyte count.

white cell
white blood cell leukocyte.

white clot syndrome
heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

white corpuscle
white blood corpuscle leukocyte.

white mineral oil
mineral oil.

white pneumonia
pneumonia alba.

white pulp
sheaths of lymphatic tissue surrounding the arteries of the spleen.

white sound
that produced by a mixture of all frequencies of mechanical vibration perceptible as sound.

white sponge nevus
a spongy white nevus of a mucous membrane, occurring as a hereditary condition.

white spot disease
guttate morphea.

white strawberry tongue
the white-coated tongue with prominent red papillae characteristic of the early stage of scarlet fever; the coating desquamates to leave the tongue looking beefy red (raspberry tongue).

white substance
white matter.

white tumor
chronic tuberculous arthritis.

whitehead
(hwīt´hed) a comedo whose opening is not widely dilated, appearing as a small, flesh-colored papule; because the keratin and sebum produced cannot escape, it may rupture and cause an inflammatory lesion in the dermis. See also acne vulgaris. Called also closed comedo. popular name for milium.

Whitehead operation
a treatment for hemorrhoids consisting of surgical removal.

whitlow
(hwit´lo) an extremely painful abscess involving the pulp of the distal phalanx of a finger; called also felon. herpetic whitlow a primary herpes simplex infection of the terminal segment of a finger, usually seen in those exposed to infected oral or respiratory secretions, such ...

Whitman operation
an operation for arthroplasty of the hip joint. a method of astragalectomy.

Whitmore disease
(hwit´mor) melioidosis.

WHO
World Health Organization.

whole blood
that from which none of the elements has been removed, sometimes specifically that drawn from a selected donor under aseptic conditions, containing citrate ion or heparin, and used as a blood replenisher.

whole protein
protein which has not been split.

whole-body irradiation
total body irradiation.