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

adipokinin
(ad″ĭ-po-ki´nin) a factor from the anterior pituitary that accelerates mobilization of stored fat.

adipolysis
(ad″ĭ-pol´ĭ-sis) the digestion of fats. adj., adipolyt´ic., adj.

adiponecrosis
(ad″ĭ-po-nә-kro´sis) necrosis of fatty tissue. adiponecrosis subcutanea neonatorum subcutaneous fat necrosis of newborn.

adiponectin
(ad-ĭ-po-nek´tin) an adipocytokine important in insulin resistance and energy homeostasis. Plasma and adipose tissue levels are reduced in diabetic and obese persons; adiponectin has also been found in the synovial fluid of patients with inflammatory joint disease.

adipopexis
(ad″ĭ-po-pek´sis) the fixation or storing of fat.

adipose
(ad´ĭ-pōs) fatty.

adipose capsule of kidney
the investment of fat surrounding the fibrous renal capsule, continuous at the hilus with the fat in the renal sinus.

adipose cell
fat cell.

adipose infiltration
fatty infiltration.

adipose system
the fatty tissue of the body, considered collectively.

adipose tissue
connective tissue made of fat cells in a meshwork of areolar tissue.

adipose tumor
lipoma.

adiposis
(ad″ĭ-po´sis) obesity. abnormal deposits or degeneration of fatty tissue. adiposis cerebralis fatness from cerebral pituitary disease. adiposis dolorosa a type of nodular circumscribed lipomatosis in which the fatty deposits press a...

adiposity
(ad″ĭ-pos´ĭ-te) obesity.

adiposogenital dystrophy
(ad″ĭ-po-so-jen´ĭ-tәl dis´trә-fe) adiposogenital syndrome increased body fat (obesity) with underdevelopment of the genitalia and altered secondary sex characters, caused by damage to certain parts of the hypothalamus and decreased secretion of gonadotropic hormones from the anterior pituitary.

adiposuria
(ad″ĭ-po-su´re-ә) lipiduria.

adipsia
(ә-dip´se-ә) absence of thirst; abnormal avoidance of drinking.

aditus
(ad´ĭ-tәs) pl. a´ditus Latin word meaning an opening or entrance. In anatomy, it is used in names for various passages in the body.

adjunct
(ad´junkt) an accessory or auxiliary agent or measure.

adjusted rate
a fictitious summary rate statistically adjusted to remove the effect of a variable, such as age or sex, to permit unbiased comparison between groups having different compositions with respect to these variables. See also crude rate and specific rate.

adjustment
(ә-just´mәnt) the changing of something, such as behavior, to improve its relationship to something else.

adjustment disorder
a mental disorder characterized by a maladaptive reaction to identifiable stressful life events, such as divorce, loss of job, physical illness, or natural disaster; this diagnosis assumes that the condition will remit when the stress ceases or when the patient adapts to the situation. Called also adjustment reaction.

adjuvant
(aj´ә-vәnt) (ă-joo´vәnt) assisting or aiding. a substance that aids another, such as an auxiliary remedy.

adjuvant therapy
the use of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in addition to surgical resection in the treatment of cancer.

ADL
activities of daily living.

Adler
(ahd´lәr) Alfred (1870–1937). Austrian psychiatrist who dissented from Freud's emphasis on the role of infantile sexuality in personality development. He started a psychological movement called individual psychology to indicate that the individual is viewed as a unified personality and an indivisible unit. M...

adnerval
(ad-nur´vәl) near or toward a nerve.

adneural
(ad-noor´әl) adnerval.

adnexa
(ad-nek´sә) Latin word meaning appendages. adnexa of eye , adnexa oculi appendages of eye. skin adnexa skin appendages. adnexa uteri uterine appendages.

adnexal adenoma
an adenoma of the skin appendages (adnexa).

adnexal carcinomas
a large group of carcinomas arising from, or forming structures resembling, the skin appendages (or adnexa), particularly sweat glands or sebaceous glands.

adnexal tumors
neoplasms of the skin adnexa; this is a large group that includes both benign tumors such as hamartomas and adenomas, and malignant tumors such as adnexal carcinomas.

adolescence
(ad″o-les´әns) the period between the onset of puberty and the cessation of physical growth, from approximately 11 to 19 years of age. Persons at this time have qualities of both children and adults and must prepare to function as adults. They must adjust to the physiologic changes their bodies are undergoin...

adoptive immunity
a type of passive immunity of the cell-mediated that a person acquires from the administration of sensitized lymphocytes from a donor who has immunity.

adoral
(ad-or´әl) situated near the mouth. directed toward the mouth.

ADP
adenosine diphosphate.

ADPKD
autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

adrenal
(ә-dre´nәl) pertaining to one of the small glands just above each kidney. Called also suprarenal. adrenal gland. paranephric.

adrenal cortex
the outer, firm layer comprising the larger part of the adrenal gland; it synthesizes and secretes more than 30 different steroids and is responsible for the maintenance of several life-sustaining physiological activities. The steroids are divided into three major groups: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and androgens. The ...

adrenal crisis
addisonian crisis.

adrenal gland
either of two small, triangular, endocrine glands found above the kidneys; this gland is actually two fused organs, with one forming the inner core or medulla and the other forming an outer shell, or cortex.. The cortex and medulla each secrete distinct kinds of hormones that regulate important bodily functions. See adrenal cor...

adrenal hypertension
hypertension associated with an adrenal tumor that secretes mineralocorticoids.

adrenal insufficiency
abnormally diminished activity of the adrenal gland; called also hypoadrenalism.

adrenal medulla
the inner portion of the adrenal gland, actually a glandular extension of sympathetic effector fibers or postganglionic neurons. It releases the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Those hormones enter the bloodstream, are carried around the body, and indirectly ...

adrenal rest tumor
a rare neoplasm of the testis of young boys, consisting of adrenal tissue; it may be secondary to hyperplasia of an adrenal gland. lipoid cell tumor of ovary.

adrenalectomy
(ә-dre″nәl-ek´tә-me) surgical removal of an adrenal gland, done for disorders of the gland (such as Cushing syndrome, pheochromocytoma, or adrenal adenoma or carcinoma) that cause an overproduction of adrenal hormones. In some instances of severe Cushing syndrome, total removal of both adrenal gl...

Adrenalin
(ә-dren´ә-lin) trademark for preparations of epinephrine, an adrenergic agent.

adrenaline
(ә-dren´ә-lin) epinephrine.

adrenalism
(ә-dren´әl-iz-әm) any disorder of adrenal gland function, whether of decreased or of heightened function.

adrenergic
(ad″ren-ur´jik) activated by, characteristic of, or secreting epinephrine or other substances with similar activities; see also adrenergic fibers and adrenergic receptors. See also sympathomimetic. an agent that acts like epinephrine.

adrenergic blockade
selective inhibition of the response to sympathetic impulses transmitted by epinephrine or norepinephrine at alpha or beta receptor sites of an effector organ or postganglionic adrenergic neuron. See also adrenergic blocking agent.

adrenergic blocking agent
a drug that blocks the secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine at the postganglionic nerve endings of the sympathetic nervous system; this produces dilatation of blood vessels and a decrease in cardiac output, which has an antihypertensive effect. See also alpha-adrenergic blocking agents and beta-adrenergic blocking agents.

adrenergic fibers
nerve fibers of the sympathetic nervous system that liberate norepinephrine (and possibly small amounts of epinephrine) at a synapse when a nerve impulse passes.

adrenergic neuron blocking agent
one that inhibits the release of norepinephrine from postganglionic adrenergic nerve endings.

adrenergic receptor
a receptor for epinephrine or norepinephrine, found most often on an effector organ that is innervated by postganglionic adrenergic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system. There are two types, alpha-adrenergic receptors and beta-adrenergic receptors.

adrenocortical
(ә-dre″no-kor´tĭ-kәl) pertaining to or arising from the adrenal cortex; called also corticoadrenal.

adrenocortical adenoma
a benign tumor of the adrenal cortex, usually small and unilateral; most types cause endocrine symptoms.

adrenocortical carcinoma
a malignant tumor of the adrenal cortex that can cause endocrine disorders such as Cushing syndrome or adrenogenital syndrome.

adrenocortical hormone
corticosteroid. any of the corticosteroids elaborated by the adrenal cortex; besides the glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, this classification also includes some androgens, progesterone, and perhaps estrogens.

adrenocortical insufficiency
abnormally diminished secretion of corticosteroids by the adrenal cortex; see also Addison disease. Called also hypoadrenocorticism and hypocorticism.

adrenocorticoid
(ә-dre″no-kor´tĭ-koid″) corticosteroid.

adrenocorticomimetic
(ә-dre″no-kor″tĭ-ko-mi-met´ik) having effects similar to those of hormones of the adrenal cortex.

adrenocorticotrophic
(ә-dre″no-kor″tĭ-ko-tro´fik) adrenocorticotropic.

adrenocorticotrophic hormone
adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) corticotropin.

adrenocorticotrophin
(ә-dre″no-kor´tĭ-ko-tro″fin) corticotropin.

adrenocorticotropic
(ә-dre″no-kor″tĭ-ko-tro´pik) having a stimulating effect on the adrenal cortex; called also adrenocorticotrophic and corticotropic.

adrenocorticotropin
(ә-dre″no-kor″tĭ-ko-tro´pin) corticotropin.

adrenogenital syndrome
(ә-dre″no-jen´ĭ-tәl) a group of symptoms associated with alterations of secondary sex characters, due to abnormally increased production of androgens by the adrenal glands. This usually results in production of masculine traits in girls or precocious puberty in boys. The condition may be congenital, in ...

adrenoleukodystrophy
(ә-dre″no-loo″ko-dis´trә-fe) an inherited childhood disease caused by a recessive gene located on the X chromosome, closely related to Schilder disease, marked by diffuse abnormality of the cerebral white matter and adrenal atrophy with abnormal adrenal functioning; characteristics include mental...

adrenolytic
(ә-dre″no-lit´ik) inhibiting the action of the adrenergic nerves or of epinephrine.

adrenomedullary
(ә-dre″no-med´u-lar″e) pertaining to or originating in the adrenal medulla; called also medulloadrenal.

adrenomedullary hormones
substances secreted by the adrenal medulla, including epinephrine and norepinephrine.

adrenomegaly
(ә-dre″no-meg´ә-le) enlargement of the adrenal gland.

adrenomimetic
(ә-dre″no-mi-met´ik) having actions similar to those of adrenergic compounds; sympathomimetic.

adrenopathy
(ad″rәn-op´ә-the) any disease of the adrenal glands.

Adriamycin
(a″dre-ә-mi´sin) trademark for preparations of doxorubicin, an antineoplastic antibiotic.

Adson test
(ad´sәn) a test for thoracic outlet syndrome; with the patient in a sitting position, the hands resting on the thighs, the examiner palpates both radial pulses as the patient rapidly fills the lungs by deep inhalation and, holding the breath, hyperextends the neck and turns the head toward the affected side....

adsorb
(ad-sorb´) to attract and retain other material on the surface; to conduct the process of adsorption.

adsorbent
(ad-sor´bәnt) pertaining to or characterized by adsorption. a substance that attracts other materials or particles to its surface. gastrointestinal adsorbent a substance, usually a powder, taken to adsorb gases, toxins, and bacteria in the stomach and intestines. Examp...

adsorption
(ad-sorp´shәn) the action of a substance in attracting and holding other materials or particles on its surface; see also absorption. attachment.

adsorption chromatography
that in which the stationary phase is an adsorbent.

adtorsion
(ad-tor´shәn) a turning inward of both eyes.

adult
(ә-dult´) having attained full growth or maturity, or an organism that has done so.

adult celiac disease
the adult form of celiac disease.

adult respiratory distress syndrome
acute respiratory distress syndrome.

adult T-cell leukemia
adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma a form of leukemia with onset in adulthood, leukemic cells with T-cell properties, frequent dermal involvement, lymphadenopathy, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and a subacute or chronic course; it is associated with human T-cell leukemia-lymphoma virus.

adult T-cell lymphoma
adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

adult-onset diabetes mellitus
former name for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

adult-onset obesity
that beginning in adulthood and characterized by increase in size of fat cells with no increase in number.

adulteration
(ә-dul″tәr-a´shәn) addition of an impure, cheap, or unnecessary ingredient to cheat, cheapen, or falsify a preparation.

advanced practice nurse
a registered nurse having education beyond the basic nursing education and certified by a nationally recognized professional organization in a nursing specialty, or meeting other criteria established by a Board of Nursing.

advancement
(ad-vans´mәnt) detachment of a portion of tissue, especially muscle or tendon, and reattachment at a point further forward than the original attachment, as is done with an eye muscle for correction of strabismus. capsular advancement attachment of the Tenon capsule in front of...

advancement flap
sliding flap.

adventitia
(ad″ven-tish´e-ә) tunica adventitia. adj., adventi´tial., adj.

adventitial cell
pericyte.

adventitious
(ad″ven-tish´әs) not normal to a part.

adventitious proteinuria
accidental proteinuria.

adventitious sounds
abnormal auscultatory sounds heard over the lungs, such as rales, rhonchi, or any of the abnormal types of resonance; they are usually characterized as either continuous or discontinuous sounds. See also breath sounds.

adverse effect
a symptom produced by a drug or therapy that is injurious to the patient.

adverse reactions
unexpected, serious symptoms coinciding with the administration of a drug; see also side effect.