A
- abdominal (ab-DOM-ĭ-năl)
- Pertaining to the abdomen.
- abdominocentesis (ab-dom-i-nō-sen-TĒ-sis):
- Surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from the abdomen.
- abdominoplasty (ab-DOM-i-nō-plas-tē):
- Surgical repair of the abdomen.
- ablation (a-BLĀ-shŏn):
- Destruction of abnormal or excessive tissue by eroding, vaporizing or melting; Using extreme heat or extreme cold to destroy cells in part of the heart which were causing abnormal rhythms.
- abortion (ă-BOR-shŏn):
- Termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable.
- abrasion (ă-BRĀ-zhŏn):
- Scrape (by injury or mechanical process).
- abruptio placentae (ă-BRŬP-shē-ō plă-SENT-ā):
- Pre-mature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall.
- abscess (AB-ses):
- Localized collection of pus.
- acanthosis nigricans (ak-an-THŌ-sis NĪ-grĭ-kăns):
- A disorder that causes darkening and thickening of the skin on the neck, groin, underarms or skin folds.
- acapnia (ă-KAP-nē-ă):
- Condition of absence (less than normal level) of carbon dioxide (in the blood).
- acne (AK-nē):
- Clogging of pores, which can lead to infection and inflammation.
- acoustic neuroma (ă-KOOS-tĭk noor-Ō-mă):
- A benign tumor in the internal auditory canal.
- acrochordons (ak-rŏ-KOR-don):
- Skin tags, teardrop-sized pieces of skin that can be as large as raisins and are typically found in the armpits or neck area.
- acromegaly (ak-rō-MEG-ă-lē):
- Enlargement of the extremities.
- acronym:
- Term derived from the first letters of a phrase and are spoken as if they are a word on their own.
- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (ă-KWĪRD im-yŭ-nō-dĕ-FISH-ĕn-sē SĬN-drōm):
- Advanced, chronic immune system suppression caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). infection.
- active immunity (AK-tĭv im-Ū-nĭt-ē):
- Immunity developed from an individual’s own immune system.
- acute inflammation (ă-KŪT in-flă-MĀ-shŏn):
- Inflammation occurring for a limited time period; rapidly developing.
- adaptive immune response (ad-ap-TĬV i-MŪN ri-SPONS):
- Relatively slow but very specific and effective immune response controlled by lymphocytes.
- adenectomy (ad-ĕn-EK-tŏ-mē):
- Excision of a gland.
- adenitis (ad-ĕ-NĪT-is):
- Inflammation of the gland.
- adenoidectomy (ad-ĕ-noy-DEK-tŏ-mē):
- Excision of the adenoids.
- adenoiditis (ad-ĕ-noyd-ĪT-is):
- Inflammation of the adenoids.
- adenomegaly (ă-dēn-ō-MEG-ă-lē):
- Enlarged gland.
- adenotome (AD-ĕ-nō-tōm):
- Instrument used to cut the adenoids.
- adhesion (ad-HĒ-zhŏn):
- Band of scar tissue that binds anatomic surfaces to each other.
- adipocytes (AD-ĭ-pō-sīts):
- Fat cells.
- adipose (AD-ĭ-pōs):
- Fat tissue.
- adrenalectomy (ă-drē-nă-LEK-tŏ-mē):
- Excision of the adrenal glands.
- adrenalitis (ă-drē-nă-LĪT-is):
- Inflammation of adrenal glands.
- adrenocorticohyperplasia (ă-drē-nō-kor-tĭ-kō-hī-pĕr-PLĀ-zh(ē-)ă):
- Excessive development of the adrenal cortex.
- adrenomegaly (ă-drēn-ō-MEG-ă-lē):
- enlargement of one or both adrenal glands.
- adrenopathy (ă-drēn-ŎP-ă-thē):
- Disease o