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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with A
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Abducent nerve
Abducent nerve: A small motor nerve that has one task: to supply a muscle called the lateral rectus muscle that moves the eye outward. Paralysis of the abducent nerve causes inward turning of the eye (internal strabismus) leading to double vision. Themore detail info...
Abduction
Abduction: No less an authority than Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines "abduction" as (1) the action of abducting: the condition of being abducted (and) (2) the unlawful carrying away of a woman for marriage or intercourse. In medimore detail info...
Abductor muscle
Abductor muscle: Any muscle used to pull a body part away from the midline of the body. For example, the abductor leg muscles serve to spread the legs away from the midline and away from one another. The word ôabductorö comes from the Latin prefmore detail info...
Aberration
Aberration: (1) A deviation or irregularity. For example, a chromosome aberration is a deviation from the normal chromosome number or the normal chromosome structure. In this sense, aberration is also synonymous with deflection, departure, divergemore detail info...
Ablate
Ablate: To remove. A tumor may be ablated. To ablate the thyroid gland is to remove it. The word ôablationö came from the Latin ôablatumö meaning to carry away. In 1671 the ablation (removal) of a disease was a matter for consideration. Butmore detail info...
Ablation
Ablation: Removal or excision. Ablation is usually carried out surgically. For example, surgical removal of the thyroid gland (a total thyroidectomy) is ablation of the thyroid. The word ablation comes from the Latin ablatum meaning to carry awaymore detail info...
ABO blood group
ABO blood group: The major human blood group system. The ABO type of a person depends upon the presence or absence of two genes, A and B. These genes determine the configuration of the red blood cell surface. A person can be A, B, AB, or O. If a pmore detail info...
Abortion
Abortion: In medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregancy was lost. A spontaneous abortiomore detail info...
Abortion, habitual
Abortion, habitual: The miscarriage of 3 or more consecutive pregnancies. Recurrent abortion can be identically defined as 3 or more miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) with no intervening pregnancies. Habitual or recurrent abortion is a form of infermore detail info...
Abortion, multiple
Abortion, multiple: Couples who have had 2 or more miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) have about a 5% chance that one member of the couple is carrying a chromsome translocation responsible for the miscarriages.more detail info...
Abortion, recurrent
Abortion, recurrent: See Abortion, habitual.more detail info...
Abrasion
Abrasion: An abrasion or &excoriation& is a wearing away of the upper layer of skin as a result of applied friction force. In dentistry an &abrasion& is the wearing away of the tooth substance.more detail info...
Abruptio (abruptio placentae)
Abruptio (abruptio placentae): Premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus. Abruption is a potentially serious problem both for the mother and baby.more detail info...
Abs
Abs: Slang for the abdominal muscles, the muscles running up and down in the abdominal wall. The "abs" contain the rectus abdominus muscle , "rectus' meaning straight."more detail info...
Abscess
Abscess: An abscess is a local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some examples: a skin abscess is a common boil, a peritonsillar abscess is a persistent collection of pus behind the tonsils, and a perianal abscess ismore detail info...
Abscess, perianal
Abscess, perianal: An abscess ( a local accumulation of pus) that forms next to the anus (the opening of the rectum to the outside of the body) causing tender swelling in that area and pain on defecation. Peri- is a prefix borrowed from the Greekmore detail info...
Abscess, peritonsillar
Abscess, peritonsillar: A collection of pus (an abscess) behind the tonsils that pushes one of the tonsils toward the uvula (the prominent soft tissue dangling from the back of the palate in the back of the mouth). A peritonsillar abscess is generamore detail info...
Abscess, skin
Abscess, skin: Medical term for a common boil.more detail info...
Absinthe
Absinthe: Once a major medical hazard, absinthe is an emerald-green liqueur flavored with extracts of the wormwood plant, licorice and aromatic flavorings in a alcohol base. Absinthe was manufactured, commercialized and popularized in France in the late 1more detail info...
Absolute CD4 count
Absolute CD4 count: The number of &helper& T-lymphocytes in a cubic millimeter of blood. With HIV, the absolute CD4 count declines as the infection progresses. The absolute CD4 count is frequently used to monitor the extent of immune suppressmore detail info...