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

whoop
(hldbomacp) the sonorous and convulsive sound on inhalation with pertussis (whooping cough).

whooping cough
pertussis.

whorl
(hwerl) a spiral arrangement, as in the ridges on the finger that make up a fingerprint.

Whytt disease
(hwit) tuberculous meningitis causing acute hydrocephalus.

Widal syndrome
(ve-dahl´) former name for hemolytic anemia.

Widal test
(ve-dahl´) a test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever, based on agglutination of Salmonella typhosa by dilutions of the patient's serum.

wide-angle glaucoma
open-angle glaucoma.

width
(width) the extent of something from side to side. pulse width the duration of a pacing impulse, usually expressed in milliseconds.

Wilcoxon rank sum test
rank sum test.

Wilcoxon signed rank test
signed rank test.

wild type
the typical form occurring in a natural population or in the standard laboratory stock, as a strain, phenotype, or gene, and therefore designated as representative of the group.

wild-type
(wīld´tīp) typical of a natural population or standard laboratory stock; see wild type.

wild-type gene
the allele commonly found in nature and designated as the normal; sometimes symbolized by +.

wild-type virus
street virus.

Wilder sign
an early sign of Graves orbitopathy, consisting of a slight twitch of the eyeball when it changes its movement from adduction to abduction or vice versa.

will
(wil) a legal declaration of a person's wishes, usually regarding disposal of possessions after the person has died. living will advance directives.

Willebrand syndrome
von Willebrand disease.

Williams exercises
(wil´yәmz) Williams flexion exercises a regimen of therapeutic exercises used in treatment of low back pain; it seeks to reduce lumbar lordosis through flexion of the lumbar spine and strengthening of the abdominal musculature.

Williams syndrome
(wil´yәmz) a congenital disorder, sometimes autosomal recessive, characterized by supraventricular aortic stenosis or other cardiovascular defects, elfin facies, mild to severe learning disability, and developmental delay.

Williams-Campbell syndrome
(wil´yәmz kam´bәl) congenital bronchomalacia and bronchiectasis, resulting from absence of annular cartilage distal to the first division of the peripheral bronchi.

Williamson sign
markedly diminished blood pressure in the lower limb as compared with that in the upper limb on the same side, seen in pneumothorax and pleural effusion.

willow fracture
greenstick fracture.

Wilms tumor
a rapidly developing malignant mixed tumor of the kidneys, made up of embryonal elements, seen mainly in young children; a genetic component is suspected. It may be accompanied by congenital defects such as urinary tract abnormalities, absent iris of the eye, or asymmetry of parts. Called also embryonal carcinosarcoma and...

Wilson disease
(wil´sun) a rare progressive disease, inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and due to a defect in metabolism of copper, with accumulation of copper in the liver, brain, kidney, cornea, and other tissues. Characteristics include cirrhosis in the liver and degenerative changes in the brain, particularly the basal ganglia. ...

Wilson-Mikity syndrome
(wil´sәn mik´ĭ-te) a rare form of respiratory insufficiency in low-birth-weight infants, marked by hyperpnea and cyanosis of insidious onset during the first month of life and often resulting in death. Radiographically, there are multiple cystlike foci of hyperaeration throughout the lung, with coarse thicken...

Wimberger sign
symmetrical erosions of the proximal tibia seen radiographically in infants with congenital syphilis.

Winchester syndrome
(win´ches-tәr) an autosomal recessive syndrome consisting of short stature, joint contractures, osteoporosis, corneal opacities, and changes in the joints resembling rheumatoid arthritis.

Winckel disease
(ving´kәl) a fatal disease of the newborn, with jaundice, hemoglobinuria, bloody urine, hemorrhage, cyanosis, collapse, and convulsions.

window
(win´do) a circumscribed opening in a plane surface; called also fenestra.

window of cochlea
round window.

window of vestibule
oval window.

windpipe
(wind´pīp) popular name for the trachea.

wing cells
cells in the corneal epithelium with convex anterior surfaces and concave posterior surfaces.

winged catheter
a urethral catheter that has winglike projections on the end to retain it in the bladder.

Winiwarter-Buerger disease
(vin´ĭ-vahr″ter bēr´gәr) thromboangiitis obliterans.

winking
(wingk´ing) quick opening and closing of the eyelids. jaw winking involuntary closing of the eyelids associated with jaw movements.

Winstrol
(win´strol) trademark for a preparation of stanozolol, an anabolic steroid used to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema.

winter itch
itching of the skin in cold weather, unassociated with structural lesions.

Winter syndrome
(win´tәr) a congenital syndrome consisting of renal hypoplasia or aplasia, anomalies of the internal genitalia, especially vaginal atresia, and anomaly of the ossicles of the middle ear.

Winterbottom sign
enlargement of posterior cervical lymph nodes in African trypanosomiasis.

wintergreen oil
methyl salicylate.

wire
(wīr) a long, slender, flexible structure of metal, used in surgery and dentistry and sometimes as a conductor of electricity. arch wire in orthodontic therapy, a wire attached to orthodontic bands and applied around the dental arch to control and force tooth movement. ...

wiry pulse
a small, tense pulse.

wisdom teeth
the third molar teeth, those farthest back on either side in each jaw; so called because they are the last of the permanent teeth to erupt, usually when a person is 17 to 21 years old.

Wishart test
(for acetonemia) a few drops of plasma are placed in a small test tube. Enough dry powdered ammonium sulfate is added to supersaturate, so that at the end of the test there will still be some of the solid sulfate in the bottom of the tube. A couple of drops of a fresh solution of sodium nitroprusside are next added and sh...

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
(vis´kot awl´drich) an inherited defect of the immune system, caused by a recessive gene located on the X chromosome ; its characteristic features are eczema, thrombocytopenia, and recurrent infection that results from the inability to produce antibodies to antigens in the capsules of certain bacteria, such as Hae...

witch's milk
milk secreted in the breast of a newborn infant.

withdrawal
(with-draw´әl) a pathological retreat from interpersonal contact and social involvement, as may occur in avoidant, schizoid, or schizotypal personality disorders. the removal of something. a substance-induced disorder that follows the ending or decreasing of use of a psychoactive substance th...

withdrawal reflex
a nociceptive reflex in which a body part is quickly moved away from a painful stimulus.

withdrawal symptoms
withdrawal (def. 2).

withdrawal syndrome
withdrawal (def. 3).

Witzel gastrostomy
Witzel operation insertion of a tube into the gastric lumen, the tube being implanted so as to create a serosal tunnel of stomach as it enters the gastric lumen.

witzelsucht
(vit´sel-zldbomackt) a mental condition marked by the making of poor jokes and puns and the telling of pointless stories at which the speaker is intensely amused; a condition characteristic of frontal lobe lesions.

Wolbachia
(wol-bak´e-ә) a genus of bacteria that infect a wide variety of invertebrates, including insects, spiders, crustaceans, and nematodes including the filariaOnchocerca; they are found in increased numbers in humans with onchocerciasis.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
(voolf´ hәrsh´horn) a syndrome associated with partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 4, characterized by an undersized head, increased distance between the eyes, epicanthus, cleft palate, a small, receding lower jaw, low-set ears that are simplified in form, undescended testes, and hypospadias.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
(woolf´ pahr´kin-sәn hwīt´) the association of paroxysmal tachycardia (or atrial fibrillation) and preexcitation. The electrocardiogram displays a short P–R interval and a wide QRS complex that characteristically shows an early QRS vector (delta wave). There is a tendency towards premature supraventricu...

wolffian body
mesonephros.

wolffian cyst
a cyst of the broad ligament developed from vestiges of the mesonephros.

wolffian duct
(Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome) (Wolfram syndrome) (Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome) (wool´fe-әn) mesonephric duct.

Wolfram syndrome
(wool´frәm) an autosomal recessive syndrome, first evident in childhood, consisting of diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic atrophy, and neural deafness. Called also DIDMOAD syndrome.

Wolhynia fever
trench fever.

Wolman disease
(wol´mәn) primary familial xanthomatosis in infants; associated with involvement and calcification of the adrenal glands, failure to thrive, vomiting, diarrhea, enlargement of the liver and spleen, foam cells in the bone marrow and other tissues, and early death.

womb
(wldbomacm) uterus.

wood alcohol
methanol.

Wood lamp
a medium-pressure mercury arc lamp that transmits Wood light for diagnosis of skin conditions such as erythrasma and fungus infections, as well as porphyrins or fluorescent minerals in the skin, scalp, and hair.

Wood light
ultraviolet radiation from a mercury vapor source, transmitted through a filter that holds back all but a few violet rays and passes ultraviolet rays of wavelength around 365 nm. See Wood lamp.

Wood sign
relaxation of the orbicularis muscle, fixation of the eyeball, and divergent strabismus, indicative of profound anesthesia.

Woodbury test
(for alcohol in the urine) to 2 mL of urine 1 mL of sulfuric acid is added, and a crystal of potassium dichromate; a green color will form.

woolsorter's disease
pulmonary anthrax.

word salad
(wurd´ sal´әd) an incoherent jumble of words and neologisms, such as that observed in advanced schizophrenia; called also schizophasia.

work
(wәrk) activity directed toward accomplishing something. social work the activity of a social worker; work designed to promote the welfare of an individual or group. stroke work a measure of the performance of the heart, usually referring to the left ...

work conditioning
a physical exercise program designed to restore specific strength, flexibility, and endurance for return to work following injury, disease, or medically imposed rest; it may be part of a complete work hardening program when other aspects of functional restoration are required.

work hardening
a rehabilitation program designed to restore functional and work capacities to the injured worker through application of graded work simulation. Included are activities designed to improve overall physical condition, including strength, endurance, and coordination needed for work activity, as well as means for coping with...

work-up
(wurk´әp) the procedures done to arrive at a diagnosis, including history taking, laboratory tests, x-rays, and so on.

workshop
(werk´shop) the meeting of a group of people for a specialized purpose such as having a discussion, learning something, or studying something. the place where such a meeting is held. sheltered workshop a facility where individuals with handicaps are employed to produce a pro...

World Health Organization
(WHO) the specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with health on an international level, functioning as a directing and coordinating authority on international health. It serves as a center for all types of global and health information, promotes uniform guarantee standards and internation...

worm
(wurm) vermis. any of the soft-bodied, elongated, naked invertebrates of the phyla Annelida, Acanthocephala, Aschelminthes, and Platyhelminthes; many species are found as parasites in humans and other animals. In North America the most common ones are roundworms and tapeworms; in other parts of the world flukes ...

wormian bone
sutural bone.

Wormley test
(for alkaloids) treat the suspected solution with an alcoholic solution of picric acid; if a yellow precipitate forms, the result is positive. treat the suspected solution with a solution of 1 part iodine and 2 parts potassium iodide in 60 parts of water; if a colored precipitate forms, the result is positive.

wound
(wldbomacnd) an injury or damage, usually restricted to those caused by physical means with disruption of normal continuity of structures. Called also injury and trauma.

wound drain
any device by which a channel or open area may be established for the exit of material from a wound or cavity. See also wound healing.

wound healing
restoration of integrity to injured tissues by replacement of dead tissue with viable tissue; this starts immediately after an injury, may continue for months or years, and is essentially the same for all types of wounds. Variables affecting the time required include wound location; wound severity; extent of tissue injury...

woven bone
bony tissue found in the embryo and young children and in various pathologic conditions in adults, in which the bone fails to show the oriented arrangement of collagen fibers characteristic of lamellated bone; called also nonlamellated bone and primitive bone.

WPW syndrome
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

wrestler's herpes
herpes gladiatorum.

Wright stain
a mixture of eosin and methylene blue, used for demonstrating blood cells and malarial parasites.

Wright syndrome
(rīt) hyperabduction syndrome. a condition marked by multifocal areas of osteitis fibrosa, patchy cutaneous pigmentation, and precocious puberty.

wrinkle
(ring´kәl) a furrow or fold in the skin or a mucous membrane. See also rhytid.

Wrisberg ganglia
cardiac ganglia.

Wrisberg ligament
(ris´bәrg) posterior meniscofemoral ligament.

wrist
(rist) the joint between the hand and the forearm, containing eight bones (the carpal bones) that are arranged in two rows. Their joint surfaces glide upon each other in four directions, and they join the bones of the forearm, the radius and ulna, as well as the metacarpal bones of the hand. Called also carpus.

wrist block
regional anesthesia of the hand by injection of a local anesthetic around the median, radial, and ulnar nerves at the wrist.

wrist ganglion
cystic enlargement of a tendon sheath on the back of the wrist.

wrist sign
in Marfan syndrome, the thumb overlaps the distal phalanx of the fifth finger when grasping the opposite wrist.

wristdrop
(rist´drop) paralysis of the extensor muscles of the hand and fingers, sometimes due to metallic poisoning.

writers' paralysis
writers' cramp.

writing hand
a peculiar position of the hand in which it appears poised for writing; seen in Parkinson disease.

wryneck
(ri´neck) wry neck torticollis.

wt
weight.

Wuchereria
(voo″ker-e´re-ә) a genus of nematodes of the superfamily Filarioidea that affect mainly humans in warmer regions of the world. W. bancrof´ti causes elephantiasis, lymphangitis, and chyluria by interfering with the lymphatic circulation. See also filariasis.