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Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with D
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Desensitization, allergy
Desensitization, allergy: Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy &war& (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effectmore detail info...
Designer estrogen
Designer estrogen: An engineered drug that possesses some, but not all, of the actions of estrogen. Designer estrogens are selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMs). For example, raloxifene (trade name Evista) is classified as a SERM because it prmore detail info...
Desmoplasia
Desmoplasia: This term refers to the growth of fibrous or connective tissue. Some tumors elicit a desmoplastic reaction, the pervasive growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor. Scar tissue (adhesion) within the abdomen after abdominal surgery is anmore detail info...
Desmoplastic
Desmoplastic: This term refers to the growth of fibrous or connective tissue. Some tumors elicit a desmoplastic reaction, the pervasive growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor. Scar tissue (adhesion) within the abdomen after abdominal surgery is amore detail info...
Desmoplastic reaction
Desmoplastic reaction: This term refers to the growth of fibrous or connective tissue. Some tumors elicit a desmoplastic reaction, the pervasive growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor. Scar tissue (adhesion) within the abdomen after abdominal surmore detail info...
Desquamate
Desquamate: To shed the outer layers of the skin. Although it may sound somewhat fishy, the word ôdesquamateö comes from the Latin ôdesquamareö meaning ôto scrape the scales off a fish.ömore detail info...
Desquamation
Desquamation: The shedding of the outer layers of the skin. For example, once the rash of measles fades, there is desquamation. The word comes from the Latin ôdesquamareö meaning ôto scrape the scales off a fish.ömore detail info...
Deuteranomaly
Deuteranomaly: Colorblindness of the red-green type, also known as deuteranopia or Daltonism. The term "Daltonism" comes from the name of the English chemist and physicist, John Dalton (1766-1844). Born in a village in Cumberland where his fathemore detail info...
Deuteranopia
Deuteranopia: Colorblindness of the red-green type, also known as deuteranomaly or Daltonism. The term "Daltonism" comes from the name of the English chemist and physicist, John Dalton (1766-1844). Born in a village in Cumberland where his fathemore detail info...
Development
Development: The process of growth and differentiation.more detail info...
Development, Human, Nat'l Inst of Child Health &
Development, Human, National Institute of Child Health and (NICHD): One of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., NICHD is essentially the NIH for kids. The mission of the NICHD is, in formal terms, to support and conduct ôresearch on fertilmore detail info...
Developmental delay
Developmental delay: Behind schedule in reaching milestones of early childhood development.more detail info...
Device, assistive
Device, assistive: Any device that is designed, made, and/or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task. For examples, canes, crutches, walkers, wheel chairs, and shower chairs are all assistive devices. Device, intrauterine contraceptivemore detail info...
Dextro- (prefix)
Dextro- (prefix): From the Latin dexter meaning on the right side. For example, a molecule that shows dextrorotation is turning or twisting to the right. The opposition of dextro- is levo- (from the Latin laevus meaning on the left side) so the omore detail info...
Dextrocardia
Dextrocardia: The heart is reversed and is in the right side of the chest rather than in its normal location on the left. This is a true anatomic reversal. With dextrocardia, for example, the apex (tip) of the heart points to the right rather than (asmore detail info...
Dextroposition
Dextroposition: Move to the right.more detail info...
Dextroposition of the heart
Dextroposition of the heart: The heart is displaced to the right (from its usual location in the left chest). There is no anatomic alteration in the heart itself, just in its location. Dextroposition occurs when the contents of the left side of the chemore detail info...
Dextrose
Dextrose: Better known today as glucose, this sugar is the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is chemically considered a simple sugar. It is the main sugar that the body manufactures. The body makes glucose from all three elements of foomore detail info...
DHF (dengue hemorrhagic fever)
DHF (dengue hemorrhagic fever): A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). DHF starts abruptly with high continuous fever and headachemore detail info...
Dia- (prefix)
Dia- (prefix): Prefix taken straight from the Greek meaning through, throughout, completely as in diachronic, diagnosis, dialysis, etc.more detail info...