Home > Medical Dictionary > Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with K
Medical References
Diseases & Conditions
Women's Health
Mental Health
Men's Health
Medical Web Links
MOL Site Map
Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
Read more health news
Medical Dictionary Terms Beginning with K
Find a medical term by first letter:
<< Previous Page | Next Page >>
Kissing bugs
Kissing bugs: Insect vectors (carriers) of the parasite (called Trypanosoma cruzi) which causes Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis). The reduviid bugs &kiss& people, especially babies, on the lips while they are asleep infecting them wmore detail info...
Kissing disease
Kissing disease: A name for infectious mononucleosis (&mono&), a very common illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). By the time most people reach adulthood, an antibody against EBV can be detected in their blood meaning they have beemore detail info...
Kit, disaster supplies
Kit, disaster supplies: You and your family can cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit. Once disaster hits, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. But if youÆvemore detail info...
Kit, emergency supplies
Kit, emergency supplies: You and your family can cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit. Once disaster hits, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. But if youÆvmore detail info...
Klebsiella
Klebsiella: A group of bacteria normally living in the intestinal tract and frequently the cause of nosocomial infections (infections acquired in the hospital). Named for Dr. Klebs.more detail info...
Klinefelter syndrome
Klinefelter syndrome: A condition in males due to XXY sex chromosomes (plus sometimes additional X or Y chromosomes) resulting in small testes, insufficient production of testosterone, and infertility. Klinefelter boys tend to have learning and/or behamore detail info...
Klippel-Feil sequence/syndrome
Klippel-Feil sequence/syndrome: The combination of short neck, low hairline at the nape of the neck and limited movement of the head. It is due to a defect in the early development of the spinal column in the neck (the cervival vertebrae).more detail info...
Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber (KTW) syndrome
Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber (KTW) syndrome: A congenital malformation syndrome characterized by the triad of asymmetric limb hypertrophy, hemangiomata, and nevi. &Asymmetric limb hypertrophy& is enlargement of one limb and not the corresponding lmore detail info...
Knee
Knee: See genu.more detail info...
Knee bursitis
Knee bursitis: A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. There are three major bursae of the knee. Bursitis is usually not infectious, but the bursa can become infected. Tremore detail info...
Knee jerk
Knee jerk: The reflex tested by tapping just below the bent knee on the patellar tendon to cause the quadriceps muscle to contract and bring the lower leg forward. It has given rise to the saying: a knee-jerk reaction. Also known medically as the patelmore detail info...
Knee, housemaid's
Knee, housemaid's: The patellofemoral syndrome (PFS), the commonest cause of chronic knee pain. PFS characteristically causes vague discomfort of the inner knee area, aggravated by activity (running, jumping, climbing or descending stairs) or bymore detail info...
Knee, secretary's
Knee, secretary's: The patellofemoral syndrome (PFS), the commonest cause of chronic knee pain. PFS characteristically causes vague discomfort of the inner knee area, aggravated by activity (running, jumping, climbing or descending stairs) or bymore detail info...
Knock-knees
Knock-knees: In medicalese: there are no knock-knees. The condition is genu valgum.more detail info...
Knuckle
Knuckle: The dorsal aspect of the flexed metacarpophalangeal joint. Knuckle may be shorter and simpler to say.more detail info...
Koch's postulates
Koch's postulates: In 1890 the German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch set out his celebrated criteria for judging whether a given bacteria is the cause of a given disease. Koch's criteria brought some much-needed scientific clarity to whmore detail info...
KoplikÆs spots
KoplikÆs spots: Little spots inside the mouth that are highly characteristic of the early phase of measles (rubeola). The spots look like a tiny grains of white sand, each surrounded by a red ring. They are found especially on the inside of the cmore detail info...
Krukenberg tumor
Krukenberg tumor: A tumor of the ovary caused by the spread of stomach cancer. When the stomach cancer spreads to an ovary, the tumor in the ovary is called a Krukenberg tumor. (This tumor, named for a doctor, is not a different disease; it is metamore detail info...
KUB
KUB: Kidney, ureter, and bladder.more detail info...
KUB film
KUB film: An X-ray showing the kidney, ureter, and bladder. This is in reality a plain abdominal X-ray and includes other structures such as the diaphragm above and the pelvis below.more detail info...