Medical dictionary

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Cachexia: a general weight loss and wasting occurring in the course of a chronic disease.
Caecum: the beginning of the large intestine, it is connected to the lower part of the small intestine (the ileum).
Calcaemia: excess blood calcium.
Calcification: deposits of calcium crystals in soft tissues.
Calcitonin: a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that lowers blood calcium.
Calciuria: calcium in the urine.
Calcium: a mineral found in the teeth, bones, and other body tissues.
Calcium channel blockers: a class of drugs used to treat angina and high blood pressure by relaxing artery walls.
Calculus: stone, tartar on the teeth.
Callus: a hardened portion of the skin, usually caused by friction or pressure at the site.
Calorie: energy that comes from food.
Cancer: diseases due to the uncontrolled growth and division of cells; often called malignant disease or:neoplasm.
Candida albicans: a genus of yeast like fungi. The gastro-intestinal tract is the source of the most important species which is part of the flora.
Cannula: a tube for insertion into the body, usually into a vein, via a sharp needle-type fitting which is then withdrawn from the cannula to allow fluids to pass through the tube.
Capillaries: the smallest blood vessels which allow oxygen to pass from the blood to body cells and waste products from the cells to the blood.
Capsule: the tough, fibrous sleeve around a joint; its inner layer is the synovium.
Capsulitis: see also adhesive capsulitis.
Carbohydrate: an organic molecule made up solely of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates may be made up of only one or two components (mono- or disaccharides, also called "sugars") or be complex chains of individual units (polysaccharides or "starches," also the "cellulose" in plant cell walls).
Carcinogen: a substance which has the ability to cause cells to become cancerous.
Carcinoma: a cancerous tumor developing from epithelial cells.
Carcinogen: a substance or agent that causes cancer.
Carcinogenesis: the development of cancer.
Carcinoma: cancer.
Cardiac: to do with the heart.
Cardiac arrest: a complete halt to the pumping of the heart.
Cardiogenic: originating in the heart.
Cardiologist: a heart specialist.
Cardiological: heart study-related.
Cardiomegaly: heart enlargement.
Cardiomyopathy: chronic heart disease in which the heart muscle is affected reducing the hearts pumping ability.
Cardiopathy: heart disease.
Cardiopulmonary: heart and lung-related.
Cardiorespiratory: heart and lung-related.
Cardioselective: affecting the heart most.
Cardiotonic: heart tonic.
Cardiotoxic: poisonous to the heart.
Cardiovascular: heart and blood vessel-related.
Cardiovascular disease:disorders of the heart and circulatory system.
Carditis: inflammation of any part of the heart or its linings.
Caries: decay, usually related to the teeth.
Carotid arteries: the major arteries in the neck carrying blood to the brain.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: the 'carpal tunnel' lies in the wrist and the tendons which run down from the muscles in the forearm to move the fingers pass through this 'tunnel'. Between the tendons is the median nerve. In carpal tunnel syndrome the median nerve gets squeezed - often because the tendons become swollen and overfill the tunnel causing various symptoms including pain, tingling and numbness. Further info.
Carrier: a healthy individual who has both a normal and an abnormal copy of a pair of genes for a genetic disorder or characteristic. A carrier of a gene for a recessive disorder will usually remain unaffected throughout life.
Cartilage: a tough slippery tissue in a joint that covers the end of bones. It allows them to move easily on one another and also acts as a shock absorber.
CAT scan (CT scan): computer assisted tomography (CAT) is a sophisticated x-ray technique used to produce detailed internal images of the body, particularly the chest and abdomen.
Catabolism: complex substances braking down into simpler substances.
Catabolic: refers to metabolic processes that break down tissue in the body.
Catabolism: chemical breakdown.
Cataplexy: sudden loss of muscle power, with collapse on to the ground, but no loss of consciousness. A feature ofnarcolepsy that occurs particularly during moments of excitement or anticipation.
Cataract: an opacity in the eye which impairs vision.Further info.
Catarrh: excessive secretion of mucus from the nose and throat.
Catheter: a hollow tube inserted into organs of the body for admitting or removing gases or liquids. For example, for the removal of urine from the bladder.
Caudal: nearer the tail.
Causal: cause-related.
Caustic: corrosive.
Cavity: hollow.
Cell: the basic unit of all living organisms, which can reproduce itself exactly.
Cell biology: the study of the structure, composition and function of cells.
Cell markers: biochemical or genetic characteristics which distinguish and discriminate between different cell: types. HLA antigens are one type of cell marker.
Cells: the individual units from which tissues of the body are formed.
Cell membrane: cell surface.
Cellulite: fat in the thighs, hips, and buttocks.
Cellulitis: inflammation of connective tissue.
Central nervous system (CNS): the brain and spinal cord.
Central venous line: acatheter passed through a blood vessel into a large central vein, these are used for patients undergoing intensive therapy and provide a route for taking blood samples and administering drugs without repeated needle puncture of a vein. See also hickman line andportacath.
Cephalalgia: headache.
Cephalic: referring to the brain.
Cerebellar: brain-related.
Cerebral: relating to the two hemispheres of the human brain.
Cerebral palsy: a permanent, nonprogressive, brain defect causing a motor function disorder. Further info.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): this fluid surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. Samples can be obtained by lumbar puncture.
Cerebral palsy: a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time.
Cerebral vasculitis: see alsotemporal arteritis.
Cerumen: ear wax.
Cervical: womb neck-related.
Cervical spondylosis: neck pain caused by joint wear and tear.
Cervix: the lower, cylindrical terminus of the womb that juts into the vagina and contains a narrow canal connecting the upper and lower parts of a woman's reproductive tract.
Chancroid: a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by the Hemophilus ducreyi bacterium. It appears as a pimple, chancre, sore or ulcer on the skin of the genitals. The lesion arises after an incubation period of three to five days.
CHD: Coronary heart disease.
Cheilion: the corner or angle of the mouth.
Chelation: chemical combination with heavy metal.
Chemokine: soluble chemical messengers that attractwhite blood cells to the site of infection.
Chemoreceptor: nerve ending.
Chemotaxis: the movement of cells towards a specific location where they are needed in response to the chemical stimulus of a cell receptor.
Chemotherapy: drugs used to treat cancer.
Cheyne-Stokes breathing: breathing that cycles up and down, also known as periodic breathing. Found in people with heart failure and neurological problems.
Chickenpox: a contagious viral infection. Symptoms include a spotty rash nausea and fever. Further info.
Childhood rheumatic diseases: see juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA).
Chilblain: swelling, reddening, and pain or itching of the fingers, toes, ears, or nose that results from poor circulation.
Chinese herbal medicine: a complete health system that looks at the body as a balance between the opposite energies of yin and yang.
Chiropody/Podiatry: a therapeutic foot care treatment for sports injuries, foot pains, back pains etc.
Chiropractic: manual treatment of musculo-skeletal aches and pains.
Chlamydia: the most common sexually transmitted bacterium infecting the reproductive system. Full name: Chlamydia trachomatis. The infection is frequently asymptomatic, but, if left untreated, can cause sterility in women.Further info.
Chloasma: dark patches on the face.
Chlorhydria: too much acid in the stomach.
Cholangiography: X-ray of the bile duct.
Cholangitis: bile duct inflammation.
Cholecystectomy: the removal of the gall bladder, usually for the treatment of gall stones.
Cholecystitis: gall bladder inflammation.
Cholelithiasis: gallstones.
Cholestasis: bile flow stoppage.
Cholesterol: a lipid, or fatty substance, found in the blood and cells.
Chondrocalcinosis: deposits of calcium crystals in soft tissues; calcification of cartilage.
Chondroma: benign tumour associated with cartilage.
Chondromalacia patellae: knee pain caused by a softening of the cartilage that lines the back of the knee cap, particularly common in teenagers and young adults.
Chorea: a convulsive nervous condition.
Chorionic: referring to the chorion or membrane enclosing the fetus.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS): Removal of chorionic villi for prenatal testing. The chorionic villi are cells situated on the wall of the uterus (womb) which form the early placenta (afterbirth). They have the same genetic make-up as the unborn baby and can be tested to detect certain abnormalities.
Christmas disease: a haemophilia problem that mimics anarthritic condition.
Chromatin: the portion of the cell nucleus that consists of nucleic acid and proteins in chromosomes.
Chromosomal: chromosome-related.
Chromosome: each cell in the body normally carries 46 chromosomes, numbered in pairs from 1 to 23. One chromosome of the pair is normally inherited from a person's mother, and the other from their father. Chromosomes contain genes: the hereditary factors which determine our body make-up.
Chronic: refers to symptoms and diseases that last for an extended period of time without noticeable change.
Chronic fatigue syndrome: a condition leading to a feeling of exhaustion most or all of the time over a long period.Further info.
Chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL): seechronic myeloid leukaemia.
Chronic leukaemia: a cancer of the blood of gradual onset and generally of slow progression. May be diagnosed by chance following a routine blood test and prior to the appearance of clinical symptoms.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL): a slowly progressing form of leukaemia, characterised by an increased number of the type ofwhite blood cells known aslymphocytes. With about 2,700 new cases occurring each year in the uk, it is the most common form ofleukaemia and occurs predominantly in late middle age onwards. It has variable symptoms and course, but may be diagnosed by chance before the patient develops any clinical symptoms of disease.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML): aleukaemia which is initially slowly-progressing. It is characterised by the presence of large numbers of abnormal, mature granulocytes, circulating in the blood. Sometimes called chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL).
Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia: a form of myelodysplasia characterised by an increase in the number of circulating white blood cells of themonocyte type.
Chronotropic: speed-related.
Churg-Strauss disease/syndrome: rare form ofvasculitis.
Chyle: a milky fluid composed of lymph and emulsified fats.
Chyme: semifluid, thick and gummy material produced by the digestion of food.
Cicatrization: scarring.
Cilia: the tiny hairs that line the airways. In healthy lungs, they wave bacteria, pollutants, and other potential troublemakers upwards so that they can be expelled.
Circulation: the blood flow through the heart and vessels of the body.
Circumcision: excising of the foreskin at the end of the penis.
Cirrhosis: liver disease.
CJD: see Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Clamacteric: the 'change of life', also known as the perimenopause; the time around the menopause during which a woman has symptoms due to falling oestrogen levels.
Claudication: pain in the legs on walking as a result of inadequate blood flow to the exercising muscles.
Clinical: refers to physical signs and symptoms directly observable in the human body.
Clinical trial: a carefully monitored assessment of new forms of treatment. They can vary in design and size from trials of experimental treatments involving small numbers of patients to large national trials which compare variations in current therapies. A patient will always be informed when the treatment is part of a trial.
Clone: a population of genetically identical cells arising from a single parent cell. Leukaemia cells originate from one original abnormal cell producing a "leukaemic clone".
Clotting factors: a group of chemical constituents of the blood (factors i to xiii) which interact to make the blood clot.
Coagulation: clotting of the blood. A complex reaction depending on a series of biochemical components and platelets in the blood. See alsoclotting factors.
Cochlear: acoustic nerve-related.
Codon: a three-nucleotide genetic subunit that determines whichamino acid is placed at one point in a protein chain.
Coeliac disease: inability of the body to cope with gluten, which is found in wheat. Further info.
Coenzyme: organic non-protein molecule.
Cofactor: any agent or characteristic that enhances or activates disease progression.
Cognitive: understood.
Cognitive function: the ability to think, reason, and remember.
Cohort: a group of individuals with some characteristics in common that is the subject of a study of the epidemiology or natural course of a disease.
Coitus: sexual intercourse.
Colectomy: an operation to remove all or part of the colon.
Colic: acute and spasmodic abdominal pain.
Colitis: inflammation of the colon.
Collagen: a fibrous protein occurring in bone, cartilage and connective tissue. It is a very important constituent of the body. There is no organ or tissue which does not have collagen. Collagen acts as the important support structure in tissues around which cells live and function. Collagen disease is an obsolete term for connective tissue disease.
Collyrium: eye wash.
Colon hydrotherapy: an infusion of purified water into the colon is said to cleanse and detoxify the inner body. Claimed to treat headaches, backaches, constipation and diarrhea.
Colonic flora: bacteria normally resident in the large bowel.
Colonopathy: colon disease.
Colonoscopy: a test to look into the rectum and colon using a long, flexible, telescope.
Colorectal: colon and rectum-related.
Color therapy: the use of color in the environment to bring healing and harmony in body and mind.
Colostomy: artificial opening between the colon and abdomen.
Colostrum: a thick fluid rich in protein and antibodies produced before and/or after childbirth before the milk production begins.
Colposcopy: a procedure in which the surface of the uterinecervix is examined through a low-powered microscope for signs of cervical dysplasia orcancer.
Coma: a state of profound unconsciousness.
Comedon: plug of sebaceous matter capped with a blackened mass of epithelial debris. Blackhead.
Common Bile Duct: the tube that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine.
Common cold: an illness that is short in duration, usually less than two weeks, does not usually produce fever, except in children. The common cold causes irritation and drainage in any or all of the airways including the nose, sinuses, throat, voice box, and often the bronchial tubes.Further info.
Complement: collection of around 20 blood proteins.
Complementary medicine: seeAlternative medicine.
Compliance: the degree to which a patient exactly follows a particular treatment regimen. Non-compliance may jeopardize the effectiveness of a drug and lead to resistance.
Compound fracture: a broken bone in which the broken end of the bone tears through the skin.
Computed Tomography (CT): an imaging technique that uses X-rays and a computer to create a picture of the brain's tissues and structures.
Conception: fertilization of an ovum by a sperm.
Concomitant: associated.
Concussion: a hard blow to the head causing cerebral malfunction.
Condyloma: genital warts.
Congenital: a term used to describe deformities or diseases which are present at the time of birth.
Conjugated: joined.
Conjugation: linkage.
Conjunctivitis: inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye.
Conjunctiva: the mucous membrane covering the anterior surface of the eyeball and lining the lids.
Connective tissue: the tissue that supports, binds, or separates more specialised tissues and organs or acts as a packing tissue of the body.
Connective tissue diseases: these are rarer disorders that can affect many parts of the body. Includes systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, polymyositis &mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Some authors might also include Sjogren's, polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and evenrheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Conservative: not extreme.
Constipation: difficulty emptying the bowel the bod. Further info.
Contagious: a disease that can be transferred from one person to another.
Continence: the ability to hold in a bowel movement or urine.
Contraception: birth control.
Contractility: ability to contract.
Contracture: a condition in which muscles become fixed in a rigid, abnormal position causing distortion or deformity.
Contraindication: reason not to prescribe a drug.
Contrast medium: barium or iodine used for specialist X-Rays.
Contusion: bruise or injury with no break of the skin.
Conventional: normal.
Convulsion: sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles.
Convulsive: involving rapid, involuntary muscle contractions, as in epileptic seizures.
Cor pulmonale: heart failure.
Cord blood: blood obtained from the umbilical cord at the time of birth and which derives from the baby.
Corn: a small area of thickened tissue on a toe, usually caused by pressure.
Coronary: heart muscle/artery-related.
Coronary arteries: the arteries supplying blood to the heart.
Coronary heart disease: heart disease resulting fromatheroma of thecoronary arteries.
Coronary thrombosis: formation of a blood clot in acoronary artery - a heart attack.
Correlation: association.
Cortex: outer layer of an organ.
Cortical: cortex-related.
Corticosteroids: corticosteroids, (often shortened to 'steroids') including cortisone, are a group of natural body hormones that have numerous effects on the body's metabolism. By giving the body extra (in tablets or by injection) the balance is affected. Steroids are very effective in controlling inflammation and may have some disease modifying effects.
Cortisol: secreted by the adrenal cortex, stimulates metabolism.
Coryza: the common cold.
Costalgia: pain around the rib cage.
Coxalgia: hip pain.
Cramp: a sudden contraction, or spasm, of the muscles.Further info.
Cranial: skull-related.
Cranial arteritis: see temporal arteritis.
Creatinaemia: excess blood creatine.
Creatine-kinase: a type of protein found in muscle.
Creatinine: the product of the breakdown of creatine, an important molecule involved in energy transfer within muscle cells. The level of creatinine in the blood and urine provides a measure of kidney function.
CREST syndrome: a relatively benign form of scleroderma or systemic sclerosis, CREST syndrome is an acronym for Calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenen, Eosophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, Telangiectasia.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD): a rare, degenerative, invariably fatal brain disorder. Further info.
Crohn's Disease: a non specific chronic transmural inflammatory disease that most commonly affects the distal ileum and colon but may also occur in any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus and perianal area.
Crossallergy: multi-allergy.
Cross-resistance: the phenomenon in which a microbe that has acquired resistance to one drug through direct exposure also turns out to have resistance to one or more other drugs to which it has not been exposed. Cross-resistance arises because the mechanism of resistance to several drugs is the same, resulting from identical genetic mutations.
Croup: an infection of the larynx characterised by difficult and noisy respiration and hoarse cough.
Cryotherapy: the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy a lesion or growth, sometimes used to induce scar formation and healing to prevent further spread of a condition.
Cryptosporidiosis: an opportunistic infection caused by the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, a very common parasite in animals. Transmission occurs through ingestion of food or water contaminated with animal faeces.
Crystal arthropathy/disease: also known as pseudogout or pyrophosphate deposition disease. See also pseudogout.
Crystalluria: crystals in the urine.
Culture: the process of growing bacteria or other cells in a special laboratory medium.
Curarize: paralyze.
Curettage: D&C. Scrape of the womb.
Cushing’s syndrome: also called hypercortisolism, is a rare endocrine disorder in which there is an excessive production of corticosteroid by the body. Further info.
Cut: incision.
Cutaneous: skin-related.
Cyanosis: bluish skin caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the area.
Cyclic: regular.
Cycloplegia: eye muscle paralysis.
Cyclosporin A: a drug used to prevent and treat rejection and graft versus host disease in transplant patients by suppressing their normal immune system.
Cyst: fluid-filled sac.
Cystic Fibrosis: a hereditary disorder of the exocrine glands, characterised by production of very thick mucus, excess sweating and overactivity of the part of the autonomic nervous system.Further info.
Cystoscopy: bladder examination through a telescope.
Cytochrome P450: a family of enzymes in the liver that metabolizes drugs and other fat-soluble substances.
Cytogenetics: the science concerned with the study of normal and abnormal chromosomes, and of their behaviour.
Cytokine: a type of chemical messenger that controls the activity of cells particularly of the immune system. See alsointerleukin;lymphokine.
Cytomegalovirus: a virus which is harmless in healthy people but may cause serious disease in severely immunosuppressed patients.Further info.
Cytopaenia: a reduction in the number of cells circulating in the blood.
Cytoplasm: the living matter within a cell (excluding the nucleus) responsible for the function of the cell.
Cytoscope: an endoscope (telescope) for the bladder.
Cytostatic: substance to stop cell growth.
Cytotoxic: cancer drug.
Cytotoxic drugs: anti-cancer drugs which act by killing or preventing the division of cells. See chemotherapy.

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