Copy of `Dorland's Medical Dictionary`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

Dorland's Medical Dictionary Category: Health and Medicine > Medical Dictionary Date & country: 31/12/2010, USA Words: 39128

carotid sheath
a portion of the cervical fascia enclosing the carotid artery, internal jugular vein, vagus nerve, and sympathetic nerves supplying the head.

carotid sinus
a dilatation of the proximal portion of the internal carotid or distal portion of the common carotid artery, containing in its wall pressoreceptors that are stimulated by changes in blood pressure. See also carotid sinus syndrome. Carotid sinus (sinus caroticus) and carotid arteries in a d...

carotid sinus reflex
slowing of the heartbeat when pressure is applied to the carotid artery at the level of the cricoid cartilage. See also carotid sinus syndrome.

carotid sinus syndrome
fainting, sometimes with seizures, due to overactivity of the carotid sinus reflex; this is seen most often in older males and may be a cause of unexplained falls. In affected persons, the carotid sinus is too easily stimulated and symptoms may be caused by sudden turning of the head or the wearing of a tight collar. Headache, ...

carotidynia
(kә-rot″ĭ-din´e-ә) tenderness along the course of the carotid artery.

carpal
(kahr´pәl) pertaining to the wrist (carpus).

carpal bones
the eight bones of the wrist (carpus), including the capitate, hamate, lunate, pisiform, scaphoid, trapezoid, and triquetral bones and the trapezium.

carpal tunnel syndrome
a symptom complex resulting from compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, with pain and burning or tingling paresthesias in the fingers and hand, sometimes extending to the elbow. The disorder is found most often in middle-aged women. Excessive wrist movements, arthritis, hypertrophy of the bone and connectiv...

carpectomy
(kahr-pek´tә-me) excision of a carpal bone.

Carpenter syndrome
(kahr´pәn-tәr) an inherited autosomal recessive disorder characterized by conical deformity of the head, extra fingers and toes, short fingers and toes, mental retardation, mild obesity, hypogonadism, and other anomalies. Called also acrocephalopolysyndactyly, type II.

carphenazine
(kahr-fen´ә-zēn) a phenothiazineantipsychotic agent, used as the maleate salt.

carphology
(kahr-fol´ә-je) involuntary picking at the bedclothes, seen in states of great exhaustion and grave fevers.

carpometacarpal
(kahr″po-met″ә-kahr´pәl) pertaining to the carpus and metacarpus.

carpopedal
(kahr″po-ped´әl) affecting the wrist and foot.

carpopedal contraction
the condition resulting from chronic shortening of the muscles of the upper and lower limbs including the fingers and toes, seen in tetany.

carpopedal spasm
spasm of the hand or foot, or of the thumbs or great toes, seen in tetany.

carpophalangeal
(kahr″po-fә-lan´je-әl) pertaining to the carpus and phalanges.

carpoptosis
(kahr″pop-to´sis) (kahr″po-to´sis) wristdrop.

Carpue operation
Indian rhinoplasty.

carpus
(kahr´pәs) the joint between the arm and hand, made up of eight bones; the wrist.

carrier
(kar´e-әr) an instrument or apparatus for carrying something. an individual who harbors the specific organisms of a disease without manifest symptoms and is capable of transmitting the infection; the condition of such an individual is referred to as the carrier state. in genetics, an in...

carrier protein
one that, when coupled to a hapten, renders it capable of eliciting an immune response. transport protein.

carrier-free
(kar´e-әr-fre´) denoting a radioisotope of an element in pure form (essentially undiluted with a stable isotope carrier).

Carrión disease
(kah-re-ōn´) bartonellosis (def. 2).

carsickness
(kahr´sik-nis) nausea and malaise produced by the motion of trains or automobiles or other vehicles; see also motion sickness. Also written car sickness.

carteolol
(kahr´te-ә-lol) a beta-adrenergic blocking agent with intrinsic sympathetic activity, administered orally as an antihypertensive and applied topically to the conjunctiva in the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

cartilage
(kahr´tĭ-lәj) a specialized, fibrous connective tissue present in adults, and forming most of the temporary skeleton in the embryo, providing a model in which most of the bones develop, and constituting an important part of the organism's growth mechanism; the three most important types are hyaline cart...

cartilage bone
bone that develops within cartilage, as contrasted with membranous bone.

cartilage cell
chondrocyte.

cartilage lacuna
any of the small cavities within the cartilage matrix, containing a chondrocyte.

cartilaginiform
(kahr″tĭ-lә-jin´ĭ-form) chondroid.

cartilaginous
(kahr″tĭ-laj´ĭ-nәs) consisting of or of the nature of cartilage.

cartilaginous joint
a type of synarthrosis in which the bones are united by cartilage, providing slight flexible movement; the two types are synchondrosis and symphysis.

cartilaginous tissue
the substance of cartilage.

cartilaginous tumor
a chondroma or an enchondroma.

cartilago
(kahr″tĭ-lah´go) pl. cartila´gines Latin word meaning cartilage.

Cartrol
(kar´trol) trademark for a preparation of carteolol hydrochloride, an antihypertensive agent.

caruncle
(kar´әng-kәl) a small fleshy eminence, often abnormal.

caruncula
(kә-rung´ku-lә) pl. carun´culae Latin word meaning caruncle.

Carvallo sign
in tricuspid regurgitation, augmentation of the pansystolic murmur by inspiration.

carvedilol
(kahr´vә-dil″ol) a beta-adrenergic blocking agent used in treatment of hypertension and as an adjunct in treatment of congestive heart failure; administered orally.

casanthranol
(kә-san´thrә-nol) a purified mixture of glycosides derived from cascara sagrada; a cathartic.

cascade
(kas-kād´) a series of steps or stages (as of a physiological process) that, once initiated, continues to the final step because each step is triggered by the preceding one, resulting in amplification of the signal, information, or effect at each stage. In electronics, the term is applied to multiple amplifie...

cascara
(kas-kah´rә) Spanish word meaning bark. cascara sagrada dried bark of the shrub Rhamnus purshiana, used as a cathartic.

case
(kās) a particular instance of a disease or other problem; sometimes used incorrectly to designate the patient with the disease. index case the first case observed in a family or other defined group, which provides the stimulus for a genetic study; the affected individual is...

case fatality rate
the number of deaths due to a specific disease as compared to the total number of cases of the disease.

case mix
the groups of patients requiring similar tests, procedures, and resources that are treated at a particular hospital; this is a way to define a hospital's production and has been identified as a major factor in differing costs among hospitals and among individual patients.

case system
a method of teaching based on the logical analysis of, and deductions formed from, reported cases of disease.

caseation
(ka″se-a´shәn) the precipitation of casein. a form of necrosis in which tissue is changed into a dry, amorphous mass resembling cheese. Called also caseous degeneration or necrosis.

casein
(ka´sēn) a phosphoprotein, the principal protein of milk, that is the basis of curd and of cheese. Casein, usually in the form of one of its salts, is added to the other ingredients of the diet to increase its protein content.

caseinogen
(ka-sēn´o-jen) the British term for casein.

caseous
(ka´se-әs) resembling cheese or curd; cheesy.

caseous degeneration
caseation (def. 2).

caseous necrosis
caseation (def. 2).

caseous pneumonia
tuberculous pneumonia in which necrotic lung tissue is of semisolid consistency and the cut surface resembles cheese.

Casoni intradermal test
(for hydatid disease) after injection into the skin of hydatid fluid, if there is immediate or delayed production of a wheal and flare reaction, this denotes hydatid infection. The test is now little used because of low specificity.

caspofungin
(kas″po-fun´jin) an antifungal used as the acetate salt in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, administered intravenously.

Casselberry position
a prone position employed after intubation so that the patient may swallow without danger of fluid entering the tube.

cassette
(kә-set´) a flat case for film or magnetic tape. x-ray cassette. grid cassette an x-ray cassette that has its front replaced by a built-in grid. x-ray cassette a light-proof housing for x-ray film and electrostatic imaging plates, contai...

cassia oil
a type of cinnamon oil.

cast
(kast) a positive copy of an object. to make such a copy. a mold of a tube or hollow organ (such as a renal tubule or bronchiole), formed of effused matter and eliminated from the body, such as a urinary cast. a positive copy or mold of the tissues of the jaws, made in an impres...

Castellani disease
(kahs-tә-lah´nē) hemorrhagic bronchitis.

Castillo catheter
a cardiac catheter similar to an Amplatz coronary catheter in shape and use, but shorter and introduced via the brachial artery.

Castleman disease
(kas´әl-mәn) a benign or premalignant condition resembling lymphoma but without recognizable malignant cells; there are isolated masses of lymphoid tissue and lymph node hyperplasia, usually in the abdominal or mediastinal area.

castor oil
(kas´ter) a fixed oil obtained from the seed of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis); now used primarily as a topical emollient. When taken internally it acts as a powerful cathartic; because of its strength, other agents are now preferred for treatment of digestive disorders.

castrate
(kas´trāt) to deprive of the gonads, rendering the individual incapable of reproduction. a castrated individual.

castration
(kas-tra´shәn) excision of the gonads (bilateral orchiectomy in a male or bilateral oophorectomy in a female), or destruction of the gonads, as by radiation or parasites. If this occurs before puberty, secondary sex characters will fail to develop. See also eunuch. female castration ...

castration cells
vacuolated basophil cells that develop in the anterior pituitary gland after castration.

castration complex
in psychoanalytic theory, unconscious thoughts and motives stemming from fear of loss of the genitals as punishment for forbidden sexual desires.

casualty
(kazh´oo-әl-te) an accident; an accidental wound; death or disablement from an accident; also the person so injured. in the armed forces, a person missing from a unit either as a result of death, injury, illness, or capture; because the person's whereabouts are unknown; or for any other reason.

casuistics
(kazh″u-is´tiks) the recording and study of cases of disease.

CAT
computerized axial tomography.

CAT scan
computerized axial tomography, or the image obtained from it.

cat-eye syndrome
cat's eye syndrome an association of coloboma of the iris and anal atresia; there may also be many other anomalies, including preauricular skin tags or fistulas, hypertelorism, congenital heart disease, skeletal abnormalities, and renal malformations. It is associated with partial trisomy 22, i.e., the presence of a partia...

cat-scratch disease
cat-scratch fever a benign, subacute, regional lymphadenitis resulting from a scratch or bite of a cat or a scratch from a surface contaminated by a cat. The causative agent is the bacterium Bartonella henselae. Cats thought to be associated with human infection show no signs of illness, and probably act only as vectors of the d...

cat's claw
a woody South American vine, Uncaria tomentosa or a preparation of its root bark, which has antiviral, immunostimulant, and antiinflammatory properties and is used in folk medicine.

cat's cry syndrome
cri du chat syndrome.

cat's eye reflex
leukokoria.

catabolism
(kә-tab´o-liz-әm) any destructive process by which complex substances are converted by living cells into simpler compounds, with release of energy; the opposite of anabolism. See also metabolism. adj., catabol´ic., adj.

catabolite activator protein
(CAP) catabolite gene activator protein a bacterial protein, activated by cyclic AMP, that stimulates transcription by binding to certain promoter sites on DNA; called also cAMP receptor protein and cyclic adenosine monophosphate receptor protein.

catacrotic limb
descending limb (def. 2).

catacrotic wave
the wave of a tracing of a catacrotic pulse.

catacrotism
(kә-tak´ro-tiz-әm) a pulse anomaly in which a small additional wave or notch appears in the descending limb of the pulse tracing. adj., catacrot´ic., adj.

catadicrotic pulse
one in which the descending limb of the tracing shows two small notches.

catadicrotic wave
the wave of a tracing of a catadicrotic pulse.

catadicrotism
(kat″ә-di´kro-tiz-әm) pulse anomaly in which two small additional waves or notches appear in the descending limb of the pulse tracing. adj., catadicrot´ic., adj.

catagen
(kat´ә-jәn) the brief portion of the hair cycle in which growth of the hair (anagen) stops and resting (telogen) begins.

catalase
(kat´ә-lās) a hemoprotein enzyme that specifically catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and is found in almost all cells except certain anaerobic bacteria. Deficiency results in acatalasia. adj., catalat´ic., adj.

catalase test
(for the production of heat-stable catalase by bacteria) a culture is treated with hydrogen peroxide and heated. The presence of gas bubbles indicates a positive reaction. Micrococci, staphylococci, most species of Bacillus, and anaerobic diphtheroids are catalase-positive; streptococci, pneumococci, and most Actinomyces are ca...

catalepsy
(kat´ә-lep″se) a condition of diminished responsiveness, usually with the person immobile and in a trancelike state, often with waxy flexibility; it may accompany a mental illness such as catatonic schizophrenia or a physical condition such as epilepsy or a cerebellar disorder, and it can sometimes be induced by h...

catalysis
(kә-tal´ә-sis) increase in the velocity of a chemical reaction or process produced by the presence of a substance that is not consumed in the net chemical reaction or process; negative catalysis denotes the slowing down or inhibition of a reaction or process by the presence of such a substance. adj., c...

catalyst
(kat´ә-list) any substance that brings about catalysis.

catalytic site
in an enzyme, the portion of the active site that converts the substrate to a reaction product or otherwise interacts with it. See also binding site.

catalyze
(kat´ә-līz) to cause or produce catalysis.

catamnesis
(kat″am-ne´sis) the follow-up history of a patient after discharge from treatment or a hospital. the history of a patient after the onset of a medical or psychiatric illness. adj., catamnes´tic, adj. .

cataphasia
(kat″ә-fa´zhә) verbigeration.

cataphoria
(kat″ә-for´e-ә) a downward turning of the visual axes of both eyes after visual functional stimuli have been removed. adj., cataphor´ic., adj.

cataphylaxis
(kat″ә-fә-lak´sis) movement of leukocytes and antibodies to the site of an infection. adj., cataphylac´tic., adj.

cataplexy
(kat´ә-plek″se) a condition, often associated with narcolepsy; marked by abrupt attacks of muscular weakness and hypotonia triggered by an emotional stimulus, such as mirth, anger, or fear. adj., cataplec´tic., adj.

Catapres
(kat´ә-pres) trademark for preparations of clonidine hydrochloride, an antihypertensive agent and analgesic.