|
calcaneus |
heel bone,
the largest bone in the foot |
|
calcifications |
hard, dense,
stonelike material that forms in numerous areas throughout the body,
including arteries (plaque), veins (phleboliths), kidneys (stones), and
gallbladder (gallstones) |
|
calcium-channel
blockers |
drugs that
limit calcium entry into the cells and stimulate contraction
|
|
callus |
area of skin
that grows thick in response to repeated pressure and friction |
|
canal of Schlemm |
part of the
vascular structure that returns aqueous humor to circulation |
|
candidiasis |
infection of
the skin, mucous membranes, and sometimes internal organs with the yeast
Candida |
|
carbuncle |
deep-seated
infection involving a cluster of hair follicles, often accompanied by a
large area of redness and swelling |
|
carcinoma |
type of
cancer that has the ability to spread, or metastatsize, to other areas
of the body |
|
cardiac catheterization |
diagnostic
procedure using a flexible tube, or catheter, that is passed into the
heart through a vein or an artery in order to withdraw samples of blood,
measure pressures within the heart chambers or vessels, and inject x-ray
contrast materials to view the heart |
|
cardiac transplantation |
replacement
of a damaged or diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor who has
died of other causes |
|
carotid arteries |
paired (right
and left) arteries that arise from the aorta or branch of the thoracic
aorta; external carotid arteries in the neck supply blood to structures
in the face, internal carotid arteries supply blood to much of the front
of the brain |
|
cartilage |
type of
connective tissue found on the ends of bones, which protects and
cushions them, and absorbs the forces transmitted throughout the body;
living tissue without a direct blood supply |
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CAT scan
(computerized axial tomography) |
specialized
x-ray examination that is often used to visualize the brain and spinal
structures, chest, abdomen, and pelvis |
|
cataplexy |
sudden loss
of postural tone, often resulting in complete collapse; common in
narcolepsy or intense emotional response |
|
catheter |
tube passed
through the body for draining fluids, injecting fluids into body
cavities, and performing certain tests |
|
catheterization |
insertion of
a catheter |
|
cecum |
beginning of
the large bowel where the end of the small bowel (ileum) empties into
the cecum at the ileocecal valve |
|
central nervous
system |
the brain and
the spinal cord |
|
cerebral aneurysm |
weakness in
the wall of a blood vessel in the brain |
|
cerebrospinal fluid |
fluid that
surrounds the brain and the spinal cord |
|
cerebrovascular
disease |
disorders of
the blood vessels that supply the brain |
|
cervical cap |
plastic cover
fitted for and placed over the cervix; used in birth control to prevent
sperm from entering and in alternative insemination to contain sperm |
|
chancre |
hard,
syphilitic, primary ulcer, usually occurring singularly; first sign of
syphilis |
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charcot foot |
severe
collapse and fracturing of the foot, seen most often in diabetic
patients with neurological problems |
|
Charcot-Marie-
Tooth disease |
progressive
debilitating neuromuscular disorder; also hereditary motor sensory
neuropathy and peroneal muscular atrophy |
|
chemolysis |
destruction
through the use of chemicals; chemical injection treatment to dissolve
kidney stones |
|
chemotherapy |
treamtent
involving the use of drugs |
|
chest pain |
See angina. |
|
cholesterol |
soft, waxy
type of fatty particle (lipid) that circulates in the blood; building
block for all cell membranes and many sex hormones |
|
choroid |
layer of the
eye between the sclera and the retina that supplies blood to the retina |
|
ciliary body |
structure
located behind iris, composed primarily of the ciliary muscles |
|
ciliary muscles |
muscles that
control the zonules that hold the lens in place and enable accommodation |
|
ciliary processes |
extensions,
or projections, from the ciliary body that secrete aqueous humor and
attach the zonules to the lens |
|
circle of Willis |
circle of
arteries at the base of the brain that is fed by the two paired internal
carotid arteries and the two paired vertebral arteries |
|
clitoris |
erectile body
of female genitalia, consisting of a body, two crura, and a glans, and
located under the clitoral hood, above the urethra; associated with
sensitivity and orgasm |
|
clonus |
increase in
involuntary muscle tone and subsequent movement that results in spasm |
|
cluster headache |
one-sided
severe pain around the eye that usually occurs at night; associated with
nasal stuffiness and tearing of the eye |
|
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cm |
centimeter |
|
colon |
tubular
structure from the stomach to the anus that consists of the small
intestine and the large intestine |
|
colonoscopy |
test in which
a length of fiberoptic tubing is inserted into the rectum and passed
into the beginning of the large bowel (cecum), allowing the physician to
directly visualize the bowel walls |
|
coma |
state of
unconsciousness, with the eyes closed |
|
comedo
(pl., comedones) |
thickened
secretion of dead skin cells and oily material plugging a follicle or
pore; closed (whiteheads), open (blackheads) |
|
computerized axial
tomography |
See CAT scan. |
|
condom |
sheath,
usually latex rubber, placed over the penis, fingers, or sex toy to
prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted disease during
penetration |
|
cones |
photoreceptor
cells that are responsible for color vision and seeing fine detail |
|
congestive heart
failure (CHF) |
potentially
lethal condition in which congestion develops in the lungs that is
produced by a heart attack, poorly controlled or uncontrolled
hypertension, or disease processes that weaken the heart |
|
conjunctiva |
thin membrane
that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the sclera |
|
conscious sedation |
medication
that allows a patient to sustain what could be an unpleasant experience
by producing "grogginess" and often complete amnesia of the event |
|
contact dermatitis |
reaction that
occurs when the skin comes into contact with a substance to which the
body is allergic |
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|
cor pulmonale |
enlargement
and eventual failure of the right ventricle of the heart, caused by lung
disease |
|
core needle biopsy |
used by a
pathologist to detect abnormality in tissue |
|
cornea |
clear,
dome-shaped structure that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber |
|
corns |
thickened
areas of skin that form in response to excessive pressure and friction,
usually hard and round, with a polished or translucent center, like a
kernel of corn |
|
coronary angiography |
x-ray imaging
of the coronary arteries through a catheter |
|
corpora cavernosa |
two spongy
tissue chambers of the penis that run the length of the organ; tissue
that fills with blood during an erection |
|
corticospinal tract |
nervous
system structures that begin in the brain and travel to the motor neuron
cell to innervate the motor nerves |
|
corticosteroids |
group of
anti-inflammatory drugs similar to natural hormones produced by the
cortex of the adrenal glands |
|
creatinine |
waste product
filtered from the blood by the kidneys and expelled in urine
|
|
Crohn's disease |
inflammatory
disease most prominent in the small bowel, which may involve any part of
the gastrointestinal tract and other organs, and which is associated
clinically with diarrhea and irritable bowel; regional ileitis |
|
crust |
scablike
coating of dried blood, pus, or drainage that covers wounds or damaged
skin |
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|
cryosurgery |
destruction
of a skin lesion by applying liquid nitrogen |
|
cryotherapy |
therapeutic
use of cold |
|
CT KUB |
computerized
tomography of the abdomen and pelvis in which no oral or intravenous
dyes are used, which is often used to detect conditions such as acute
appendicitis, renal or ureteral stones, and diverticulitis |
|
CT scan |
See CAT scan. |
|
curettage and
desiccation |
surgical
technique in which a curette is used to scrape tissue, followed by
drying and burning of that tissue with electrocautery |
|
curette |
surgical
instrument with a round, hollow, sharp tip that is used to scrape
tissues |
|
cutaneous T-cell
lymphoma (CTCL) |
cancer of the
T cells, often confined to the skin but has the ability to spread
|
|
cutaneous |
related to
the skin |
|
cyst |
sac that
contains semisolid or liquid contents |
|
cystectomy |
surgical
removal of the bladder |
|
cystocele |
herniation of
the bladder into the vagina |
|
cystoscopy |
procedure
using a flexible scope inserted into the urethra and then into the
bladder to determine abnormalities in the bladder and lower urinary
tract |
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