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


BOR syndrome
branchio-oto-renal syndrome.

borate
(bor´āt) any salt of boric acid.

borborygmus
(bor″bә-rig´mәs) pl. borboryg´mi a type of rumbling bowel sound caused by propulsion of gas through the intestines.

border
(bor´dәr) a bounding line, edge, or surface. brush border a specialization of the free surface of a cell, consisting of minute cylindrical processes (microvilli) that greatly increase the surface area. vermilion border the exposed red portion...

border cells
a row of columnar supporting cells that delimit the inner boundary of the organ of Corti.

border disease virus
a virus of the genus Pestivirus that is the etiologic agent of border disease (hairy shaker disease).

border zone
a zone at the boundary of two contiguous structures, as that where the trophoblast and the endometrium meet.

borderline
(bor´dәr-līn) of a phenomenon, straddling the dividing line between two categories. a term used in psychiatry for personality disorders that were formerly viewed as being on the border between psychosis and neurosis. See borderline personality disorder.

borderline hypertension
a condition in which the arterial blood pressure is sometimes within the normotensive range and sometimes within the hypertensive range.

borderline ovarian tumors
a group of ovarian tumors whose appearance and behavior are between those of adenomas and carcinomas; it includes some Brenner tumors, as well as endometrioid, mucinous borderline, and serous borderline tumors.

borderline personality disorder
a personality disorder marked by features of personality organization that may include instability, impulsiveness, intense or poorly controlled anger, inability to tolerate being alone, and chronic feelings of emptiness. Affected individuals sometimes seem to be on the borderline of psychosis and are highly unstable in mo...

Bordet-Gengou phenomenon
(bor-da´ zhahn-goo´) complement fixation.

Bordetella
(bor″dә-tel´ә) a genus of gram-negative aerobic cocci. B. pertus´sis is the etiologic agent of pertussis. B. bronchisep´tica and B. parapertus´sis are also found occasionally in pertussis.

Bordier-Fränkel sign
Bell phenomenon.

Borg scale
a numerical scale for assessing dyspnea, from 0 representing no dyspnea to 10 as maximal dyspnea.

boric acid
(bor´ik) a mild acid used as a buffer. It was formerly used as a household antiseptic for treating minor irritations of the skin and eyes. Because the powder is highly poisonous when taken internally, and since other antiseptics are more effective, boric acid is no longer recommended. Boric acid ointment (for exte...

boring pain
pain that feels as if one were of being pierced with a long, slender, twisting object.

Bornholm disease
(born´hōm) epidemic pleurodynia.

boron
(B) (bor´on) a chemical element, atomic number 5, atomic weight 10.811.

boron poisoning
poisoning by boron, boric acid, or a borate salt. Symptoms include weakness, ataxia, tremors, convulsions, and often death.

Borrelia
(bә-rel´e-ә) a genus of gram-negative, aerobic, spirochete bacteria that are parasites on mucous membranes and cause borreliosis and other conditions. B. burgdor´feri, transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes, is the cause of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, erythema chronicum migrans, and Lyme disease. B. rec...

borreliosis
(bә-rel″e-o´sis) infection with spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. Lyme borreliosis any of several different diseases that are caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and have similar manifestations, including Lyme disease, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, and erythema chronicum mi...

boss
(bos) a rounded eminence.

bosselated
(bos´ә-lāt-әd) marked or covered with bosses.

Boston sign
Graefe sign.

botfly
(bot´fli) an insect of the family Oestridae whose larvae (called bots) are parasitic, especially in horses and sheep. Genera include Oestrus, Gasterophilus, and Dermatobia.

botryoid
(bot´re-oid) shaped like a bunch of grapes.

botryoid sarcoma
an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma arising in submucosal tissue, usually in the upper vagina, cervix uteri, or bladder neck in young children and infants, presenting grossly as a polypoid grapelike structure.

botryomycosis
(bot″re-o-mi-ko´sis) a chronic purulent granulomatous bacterial infection usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Human infection is usually localized to the skin but may involve other organs such as the viscera and lymph nodes, especially in debilitated patients.

bottle mouth caries
early childhood caries.

botuliform
(boch´u-lĭ-form) sausage-shaped.

botulin
(boch´u-lin) botulinum toxin.

botulinal
(boch″u-li´nәl) pertaining to Clostridium botulinum or to its toxin (botulinum toxin).

botulinal toxin
botulinum toxinbotulinus toxin one of seven different exotoxins (types A to G) produced by Clostridium botulinum; they are all neurotoxins and are usually found in imperfectly canned or preserved foods. They cause botulism by preventing release of acetylcholine by the cholinergic fibers. Type A is administered therapeutically by injec...

botulism
(boch´ә-liz-әm) any poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum in the body; it produces a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin. specifically, a rare but severe, often fatal, form of food poisoning due to ingestion of improperly canned or preserved foods contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Symptoms i...

Bouchard disease
(boo-shahr´) dilatation of the stomach from inefficiency of the gastric muscles.

Bouchard nodes
cartilaginous and bony enlargements of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers in degenerative joint disease; such nodes on the distal joints are called Heberden nodes.

Bouchet-Gsell disease
(boo-sha´ gә-sel´) swineherd's disease.

bougie
(boo-zhe´) a slender, flexible or rigid, hollow or solid, cylindrical instrument for introduction into the urethra or other tubular organ, usually for calibrating or dilating constricted areas. Bougies: (A), Otis bougie à boule; (B), olive-tipped bougie; (C), filiform bougie. ...

bougienage
(boo″zhe-nahzh´) passage of a bougie.

Bouillaud sign
permanent retraction of the chest in the precordial region; a sign of adherent pericardium.

Bouillaud syndrome
(boo-e-yo´) the coincidence of pericarditis and endocarditis in acute articular rheumatism.

bound water
water in the tissues of the body bound to macromolecules or organelles.

bouquet
(boo-ka´) a structure resembling a cluster of flowers.

Bourgery ligament
(bldbomacr-zhә-re´) a broad band of fibers extending from the medial condyle of the tibia across the back of the knee joint to the lateral epicondyle of the femur.

Bourneville disease
(bldbomacrn-vēl´) Bourneville-Pringle syndrome (bldbomacrn-vēl´ pring´gәl) tuberous sclerosis.

bouton
(boo-tahn´) a buttonlike swelling on an axon where it has a synapse with another neuron. bouton terminal (ter-mĭ-nahl´) pl. boutons´ terminaux´ end-foot.

boutonneuse fever
(boo-tә-nooz´) an acute type of spotted fever endemic in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region, Africa, and India, due to infection with Rickettsia conorii, with chills, fever, primary skin lesion (tache noire), and rash appearing on the second to fourth day.

Bouveret syndrome
(boo-vә-ra´) paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. obstruction of the gastric outlet by a gallstone passed into the duodenal bulb through a cholecystoduodenal or choledochoduodenal fistula.

bovine
(bo´vīn) pertaining to, characteristic of, or derived from cattle.

bovine spongiform encephalopathy
a prion disease of adult cattle in the British Isles with neurologic symptoms. It is transmitted by feed containing protein in the form of meat and bone meal derived from infected animals. The etiologic agent is also the cause of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Called also mad cow disease.

bovine tuberculosis
an infection of cattle caused by Mycobacterium bovis, transmissible to humans and other animals; there are tubercles in lymph nodes and various different organs.

Bowditch staircase phenomenon
treppe.

bowel
(bou´әl) intestine.

bowel bypass syndrome
a syndrome that may occur one to six years after jejunoileal bypass, characterized by rash, malaise, myalgia, polyarthralgia, sterile skin pustules, and a flulike illness; it is probably caused by circulating immune complexes that include bacterial antigens resulting from bacterial overgrowth in the bypassed bowel.

bowel incontinence
fecal incontinence.

bowel movement
defecation (def. 2).

bowel sounds
relatively high-pitched abdominal sounds caused by propulsion of contents through the lower part of the colon. Normal bowel sounds are characterized by bubbling and gurgling noises that vary in frequency, intensity, and pitch. In the presence of distention from flatus, the sounds are hyperresonant and can be heard over the enti...

Bowen disease
(bo´әn) intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma, often occurring in multiple sites.

bowenoid cells
neoplastic cells derived from the epidermis, constituting lesions of Bowen disease.

bowleg
(bo´leg) genu varum.

bowler hat sign
on a radiograph of the colon, a shadow resembling a bowler hat, representing the filling defect of either a sessile polyp on the inferior wall or a diverticulum.

Bowman capsule
the globular dilatation forming the beginning of a renal tubule and surrounding the glomerulus. Called also glomerular capsule and malpighian capsule.

Bowman disks
the flat plates making up a striated muscle fiber.

Bowman glands
olfactory glands.

Bowman membrane
a thin layer of basement membrane between the outer layer of stratified epithelium and the substantia propria of the cornea.

boxer's dementia
a syndrome more serious than boxer's traumatic encephalopathy, the result of cumulative injuries to the brain in boxers; characterized by forgetfulness, slowness in thinking, dysarthric speech, and slow, uncertain movements, especially of the legs.

boxer's encephalopathy
boxer's traumatic encephalopathy a syndrome due to cumulative head blows absorbed in the boxing ring, characterized by slowing of mental function, occasional bouts of confusion, and scattered memory loss. It may progress to the more serious boxer's dementia. See also postconcussional syndrome.

boxer's fracture
fracture of the metacarpal neck with volar displacement of the metacarpal head caused by striking a hard object with the closed fist.

Boyce sign
a gurgling sound heard on pressure by the hand on the side of the neck; seen in diverticulum of the esophagus.

Boyer cyst
an enlargement of the subhyoid bursa.

Boyle's law
(boilz) at a constant temperature the volume of a perfect gas varies inversely with pressure; that is, as increasing pressure is applied, the volume decreases. Conversely, as pressure is reduced, volume is increased.

Bozeman position
the knee-elbow position with straps used for support.

Bozicevich test
a serologic test for the detection of trichinosis.

Bozzolo sign
a visible pulsation of the arteries within the nostrils; said to indicate aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.

BP
blood pressure. British Pharmacopoeia, a publication of the General Medical Council, describing and establishing standards for medicines, preparations, materials, and articles used in the practice of medicine, surgery, or midwifery.

bp
boiling point.

BPH
benign prostatic hyperplasia.

bpm
beats per minute.

Bq
becquerel.

Br
bromine.

Braasch bulb catheter
a bulb-tipped ureteral catheter used for dilation and determination of the inner diameter of the ureter.

brace
(brās) an orthopedic appliance or apparatus applied to the body, particularly the trunk or lower limbs, to support the weight of the body, to correct or prevent deformities, or to control involuntary movements. See also orthosis. (in the pl.)orthodontic appliance. Milwaukee brace&...

brachial
(bra´ke-әl) pertaining to the upper limb.

brachial artery
origin, continuation of axillary artery; branches, profunda brachii, nutrient of humerus, superior ulnar collateral, inferior ulnar collateral, radial, and ulnar arteries; distribution, shoulder, arm, forearm, hand.

brachial paralysis
paralysis of an upper limb from damage to the brachial plexus.

brachial plexopathy
brachial syndrome any neuropathy of the brachial plexus, such as brachial paralysis or thoracic outlet syndrome.

brachial plexus
a nerve plexus partly in the neck and partly in the axilla, originating from the ventral branches of the last four cervical spinal nerves and most of the ventral branch of the first thoracic spinal nerves. It has a supraclavicular part and an infraclavicular part that give off many of the principal nerves of the shoulder and up...

brachial plexus anesthesia
brachial plexus block regional anesthesia of the shoulder, arm, and hand by injection of a local anesthetic into the brachial plexus.

brachial pulse
a pulse that can be felt over the brachial artery on the inner surface of the elbow and should be palpated before taking blood pressure to determine placement of the stethoscope.

brachial veins
the veins following the course of the brachial artery, which join with the basilic vein to form the axillary vein.

brachialgia
(bra″ke-al´jә) pain in the arm.

brachialis muscle
brachial muscle: origin, anterior surface of humerus; insertion, coronoid process of ulna; innervation, radial, musculocutaneous nerve; action, flexes forearm.

brachiocephalic
(bra″ke-o-sә-fal´ik) pertaining to the upper limb and the head.

brachiocephalic arteritis
pulseless disease.

brachiocephalic trunk
a vessel arising from the aortic arch and giving origin to the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries. Called also innominate artery.

brachiocephalic vein
either of the two veins (right and left) that drain blood from the head, neck, and upper limbs, and unite to form the superior vena cava. Each is formed at the root of the neck by union of the internal jugular and subclavian veins of that same side. The right vein passes almost vertically downward in front of the brachioc...

brachiocrural
(bra″ke-o-kroo´rәl) pertaining to an upper and lower limb.

brachiocubital
(bra″ke-o-ku´bĭ-tәl) pertaining to the arm and elbow or forearm, such as something extending from the upper arm to the forearm.

brachiocyrtosis
(bra″ke-o-sәr-to´sis) crookedness of the arm.