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 The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.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

de Toni-Fanconi syndrome
see Fanconi syndrome. (def. 2).

de-lead
(de-lead) (-led´) to induce the removal of lead from tissues and its excretion in the urine by the administration of chelating agents.

deactivation
(de-ak″tĭ-va´shәn) the process of making or becoming inactive.

dead space
a space remaining in the tissues as a result of failure of proper closure of surgical or other wounds, permitting the accumulation of blood or serum. the portions of the respiratory tract that are ventilated but not perfused by pulmonary circulation.

deadly nightshade
belladonna.

deaf
(def) lacking the sense of hearing or not having the full power of hearing; see hearing loss.

deaf point
one of certain points near the ear where a vibrating tuning fork cannot be heard.

deaf-mute
(def-mūt) former term for a person unable to hear or speak; now considered offensive.

deafferentation
(de-af″әr-әn-ta´shәn) the elimination or interruption of sensory nerve fibers.

deafness
(def´nis) hearing loss; lack or loss of all or a major part of the sense of hearing. word deafness auditory aphasia.

deamidase
(de-am´ĭ-dās) an enzyme that splits amides to form a carboxylic acid and ammonia.

deamidization
(de-am″ĭ-dĭ-za´shәn) the removal of an amido group from a molecule.

deaminase
(de-am´ĭ-nās) an enzyme causing deamination (removal of the amine group from a compound); enzymes are named according to substrate, such as adenosine deaminase, cytidine deaminase, guanine deaminase, etc.

deamination
(de-am″ĭ-na´shәn) removal of the amino group, sbondNH2, from a compound.

death
(deth) the cessation of life; permanent cessation of all vital bodily functions. For legal and medical purposes, the following definition of death has been proposed—the irreversible cessation of all of the following: (1) total brain function, (2) spontaneous breathing and other functions of the respiratory s...

death rate
the number of deaths in a certain period of time divided by the total of a given population. The crude death rate is the ratio of the number of deaths in a geographic area in one year divided by the average population in the area during the year. The age-specific death rate is the ratio of the number of deaths occurring in a sp...

Deaver incision
incision through the anterior sheath of the right rectus muscle, the muscle then being retracted medially.

debility
(dә-bil´ĭ-te) asthenia.

debrancher enzyme
debranching enzyme an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of glycogen molecules, specifically cleaving off glucose molecules that are arranged in a particular kind of branching on the glycogen molecule, and releasing free glucose molecules. Deficiency of this enzyme causes glycogen storage disease, type III. Called also amylo-1,...

Debré-Sémélaigne syndrome
(dә-bra´ sa-ma-len´yә) autosomal recessive athyrotic cretinism associated with myotonia and muscular pseudohypertrophy. Called also Kocher-Debré-Sémélaigne syndrome.

débride
(da-brēd´) to remove by débridement.

débridement
(da-brēd-maw´) the removal of all foreign material and all contaminated and devitalized tissues from or adjacent to a traumatic or infected area until surrounding healthy tissue is exposed.

debris
(dә-bre´) devitalized tissue or foreign matter.

debt
(det) something owed. oxygen debt the extra oxygen that must be used in the oxidative energy processes after a period of strenuous exercise to reconvert lactic acid to glucose and decomposed ATP and creatine phosphate to their original states.

debulking
(de-bulk´ing) removal of a major portion of the material that composes a lesion, such as the surgical removal of most of a tumor so that there is less tumor load for subsequent treatment by chemotherapy or radiation. Called also cytoreduction.

Decadron
(dek´ә-dron″) trademark for preparations of dexamethasone, a steroid antiinflammatory agent.

decalcification
(de-kal″sĭ-fĭ-ka´shәn) the process of removing calcareous matter. the loss of calcium salts from bones or teeth. Decalcified teeth are discolored, chalky, and easily fractured.

decalcify
(de-kal´sĭ-fi) to undergo decalcification.

decannulation
(de-kan″u-la´shәn) extubation of a cannula.

decantation
(de″kan-ta´shәn) the pouring of a clear supernatant liquid from a sediment.

decapitation
(de-kap″ĭ-ta´shәn) removal of the head, as of an animal, fetus, or bone.

decapsulation
(de-kap″su-la´shәn) capsulectomy.

decarboxylase
(de″kahr-bok´sә-lās) any of the lyase class of enzymes that catalyze the removal of a carbon dioxide molecule from a compound.

decarboxylation
(de″kahr-bok″sә-la´shәn) removal of the carboxyl group from a compound.

decay
(de-ka´) the gradual decomposition of dead organic matter. the process or stage of decline, as in old age. tooth decay dental caries.

decay accelerating factor
(DAF) a protein of most blood as well as endothelial and epithelial cells, CD55 (see CD antigen); it protects the cell membranes from attack by autologous complement.

decedent
(dә-se´dәnt) a person who has recently died.

deceleration
(de-sel´әr-a″shәn) the slowing or stopping of movement. Sudden deceleration is a frequent mechanism of motion injury (deceleration injury), such as in motor vehicle accidents and falls. early deceleration in fetal heart rate monitoring, a transient decrease in heart rate...

decenter
(de-sen´tәr) in optics, to design or make a lens such that the visual axis does not pass through the optical center of the lens.

decentered lens
one whose optic axis does not pass through the center.

decerebrate
(de-ser´ә-brāt) to eliminate cerebral function by transection of the brainstem or ligation of the common carotid arteries and basilar artery at the center of the pons. a laboratory animal so prepared. decerebrate rigidity a posture found in those with lesions of t...

decerebration
(de-ser″ә-bra´shәn) the act of decerebrating.

decholesterolization
(de″kә-les″tәr-ol-ĭ-za´shәn) reduction of cholesterol levels in the blood.

decibel
(des´ĭ-bәl) a unit of relative power intensity equal to one tenth of a bel, used for electric or acoustic power measurements; one decibel equals approximately the smallest difference in acoustic power the human ear can detect and an increase of 10 decibels approximately doubles the loudness of a sound. ...

decidua
(dә-sid´u-ә) a name applied to the endometrium during pregnancy, all of which except for the deepest layer is shed after childbirth; called also decidual or deciduous membranes. adj., decid´ual., adj. basal decidua , decidua basalis the portion ...

decidual cells
connective tissue cells of the uterine mucous membrane, enlarged and specialized during pregnancy.

decidual membranes
deciduous membranes decidua.

deciduate
(dә-sid´u-āt) characterized by shedding.

deciduate placenta
deciduous placenta a placenta or type of placentation in which the decidua or maternal parts of the placenta separate from the uterus and are cast off together with the trophoblastic parts.

deciduitis
(dә-sid″u-i´tis) a bacterial disease leading to changes in the decidua.

deciduoma
(dә-sid″u-o´mә) an intrauterine mass containing decidual cells.

deciduosis
(dә-sid″u-o´sis) the presence of decidual tissue or of tissue resembling the endometrium of pregnancy in an ectopic site.

deciduous
(dә-sid´u-әs) falling off; subject to being shed, such as deciduous (primary) teeth. See tooth.

deciduous teeth
the 20 teeth of the first dentition, which are shed and replaced by the permanent teeth. They begin to calcify in the fetus around the fourth month of pregnancy, and near the end of the sixth month all of these teeth have begun to develop. After a baby is born, the first incisors normally begin to appear during the seventh mont...

decile
(des´īl) any of the nine values that divide the range of a probability distribution into ten equal parts of equal probability; deciles are the 10th, 20th, 30th, etc. percentiles.

deciliter
(dL) (des´ĭ-le″tәr) one tenth (10minus;1) of a liter; 100 milliliters.

decitabine
(DAC) (de-si´tә-bēn″) a cytotoxic compound used as an antineoplastic agent in treatment of acute leukemia.

deck plate
roof plate.

declination
(dek″lĭ-na´shәn) cyclophoria.

declive
(de-kli´ve) a slope or a slanting surface. In anatomy, the part of the vermis of the cerebellum just caudal to the primary fissure.

declivis
(de-kli´vis) Latin word meaning slope or slanting surface, used in anatomy. See declive.

decoloration
(de-kul″әr-a´shәn) removal of color; bleaching. lack or loss of color.

decolorize
(de-kul´әr-īz) to free from color; to bleach.

decompensation
(de-kom″pәn-sa´shәn) any failure of homeostatic mechanisms. inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation; it is marked by dyspnea, venous engorgement, cyanosis, and edema. in psychiatry, the failure of defense mechanisms and resultant progressive personality disintegrat...

decomposition
(de″kom-pә-zish´әn) the separation of compound bodies into their constituent principles. deterioration or decay of a substance.

decompression
(de″kom-presh´әn) return to normal environmental pressure after exposure to greatly increased pressure, as when a deep-sea diver returns to the surface. any technique for artificially controlling this process. a surgical operation for the relief of pressure in a body compartment.

decompression of heart
surgical puncture of the pericardium followed by removal of blood or fluid.

decompression of spinal cord
surgical relief of pressure on the spinal cord, which may be due to hematoma, bone fragments, etc.

decompression sickness
joint pains, respiratory manifestations, skin lesions, and neurologic signs occurring in aviators who ascend too quickly to high altitudes or in persons who have been breathing compressed air in caissons or diving apparatus if air pressure is reduced too rapidly, because gases that were dissolved in the blood under the hi...

deconditioning
(de″kәn-dish´әn-ing) the loss of muscle tone and endurance due to chronic disease, immobility, or loss of function.

decongestant
(de″kәn-jes´tәnt) tending to reduce congestion or swelling, usually of the nasal membranes. Called also decongestive. an agent that has this effect; it may be inhaled, taken as spray or nose drops, or used orally in liquid or tablet form. Nasal decongestants act by reducing swelling of th...

decongestive
(de″kәn-jes´tiv) decongestant (def. 1).

decontamination
(de″kәn-tam″ĭ-na´shәn) the freeing of a person or object from some contaminating substance such as war gas, radioactive material, or bacteria.

decorticate rigidity
(de-kor´tĭ-kāt) abnormal flexor posturing of the limbs, indicative of a lesion in the cerebral hemispheres or disruption of the corticospinal tracts. The patient exhibits bilateral adduction of the shoulders, pronation and flexion of the elbows and wrists, and extension, internal rotation, and plantar flexion ...

decortication
(de-kor″tĭ-ka´shәn) removal of the outer covering from a plant, seed, or root. removal of portions of the cortex of a structure or organ, as of the brain, kidney, or lung. a surgical procedure to remove a residual clot or new scar tissue following a hemothorax or untreated empyema.

decoy cells
a type of intranuclear viral inclusions found in immunocompromised patients with polyomavirus infections and detected when they are shed in the urine.

decremental conduction
a gradual decrease in the stimuli and response along a pathway of conduction; it occurs in nerve fibers with reduced membrane potentials.

decrudescence
(de″kroo-des´әns) diminution or abatement of the intensity of symptoms.

decubital ulcer
decubitus ulcer pressure ulcer.

decubitus
(de-ku´bĭ-tәs) pl. decu´bitus Latin word meaning the act of lying down or the position assumed in lying down.. adj., decu´bital., adj. dorsal decubitus lying on the back. lateral decubitus lying on one side, designated right lateral decub...

decubitus paralysis
paralysis due to pressure on a nerve from lying for a long time in one position.

decubitus position
that of the body lying on a horizontal surface, designated according to the aspect of the body touching the surface as dorsal decubitus (on the back), left or right lateral decubitus (on the left or right side), and ventral decubitus (on the anterior surface). In radiology, the patient is placed in either the right or left lateral de...

decussate
(de-kus´āt) to cross in the form of an X. crossed like the letter X.

decussation
(de″kә-sa´shәn) a crossing over; the intercrossing of fellow parts or structures in the form of an X. decussation of pyramids the anterior part of the lower medulla oblongata in which most of the fibers of each pyramid intersect as they cross the midline and des...

dedifferentiation
(de-dif″әr-en″she-a´shәn) anaplasia.

deductible
(de-duk´tĭ-bәl) the amount that the patient must pay before a third party payer will assume responsibility for health care charges; see also third party payment.

deep artery of arm
profunda brachii artery.

deep artery of clitoris
origin, internal pudendal artery; branches, none; distribution, clitoris.

deep artery of penis
origin, internal pudendal artery; branches, none; distribution, corpus cavernosum of penis.

deep artery of thigh
deep femoral artery.

deep auricular artery
origin,maxillary artery; branches, none; distribution, skin of ear canal, tympanic membrane, temporomandibular joint.

deep cervical artery
origin, costocervical trunk; branches, none; distribution, deep neck muscles.

deep cervical vein
a vein that arises from a plexus in the suboccipital triangle, follows the deep cervical artery down the neck, and empties into the vertebral or the brachiocephalic vein.

deep circumflex iliac artery
origin, external iliac artery; branches, ascending branches; distribution, iliac region, abdominal wall, groin.

deep circumflex iliac vein
a common trunk formed from the veins that follow the path of the deep circumflex artery; it empties into the external iliac vein.

deep dorsal vein of clitoris
a vein that follows the course of the dorsal artery of clitoris and opens into the vesical plexus.

deep dorsal vein of penis
a vein lying beneath the fascia in the midline of the penis, between the dorsal arteries; it begins in small veins around the corona of the glans, is joined by the deep veins of the penis as it passes proximally, and passes between the arcuate pubic and transverse perineal ligaments where it divides into a left and right ...

deep external pudendal artery
origin, femoral artery; branches, anterior scrotal or anterior labial branches, inguinal branches; distribution, external genitalia, upper medial thigh.

deep facial vein
a vein draining from the pterygoid plexus to the facial vein.

deep fascia
aponeurotic fascia.