Medical Terms
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sacro-iliac joint
synovial joint formed between the medial surface of the ilium and the lateral aspect of the upper sacral vertebrae; a fibrous joint, comprising and surrounded by very strong ligamentous structures; major function is to transmit body weight.
saline solution
a solution containing sodium chloride.
saliva
mixture of water, protein, and salts that makes food easy to swallow; begins digestion.
salpingectomy
surgical removal of one or both fallopian tubes.
salpingo-oophorectomy
surgery to remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
saturated fat
fat that is found in foods from animal meats and skin, dairy products, and some vegetables.
scapula
commonly known as the shoulder blade.
sciatica
traditionally defined as pain in the sciatic nerve, or its branches, that is caused by direct pressure or irritation.
scintigraphy
see radionuclide scans.
sclerotherapy
method of stopping upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A needle is inserted through an endoscope to bring hardening agents to the place that is bleeding.
scotoma
an area of partial or complete loss of vision surrounded by an area of normal vision.
sebum
oily substance produced by sebaceous glands in the skin.
secretin
hormone made in the duodenum; causes the stomach to make pepsin, the liver to make bile, and the pancreas to make digestive juices.
segmental mastectomy
surgery to remove a portion of the breast
Seizure
An electrical brain disturbance that leads to a convulsion or other transient neurologic problem. Some seizures may consist only of staring spells. Other can consist of temporary smells or tastes. Other seizures can involve jerking limb movements or numbness. An investigation should be performed to try to identify the cause of the seizures. Medication therapy may be necessary in some patients and occasionally surgery is performed to relieve the seizure focus.
self-monitoring blood glucose
method for persons with diabetes to find out how much glucose is in their blood.
sella turcica
bony structure that houses the pituitary gland.
sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the sensory cells and/or nerve fibers of the inner ear.
septal defect
a hole in the wall of the heart.
septum
the muscle wall that divides the heart chambers.
serum
a clear fluid that separates when blood clots.
sesamoiditis
inflammatory condition affecting the two sesamoid bones in the flexor tendon of the great (big) toe.
sexually transmitted disease (STD)
infection spread through sexual intercourse and other intimate sexual contact.
shigellosis
infection with the bacterium Shigella; usually causes a high fever, acute diarrhea, and dehydration. (See also gastroenteritis.)
short gut syndrome
see short bowel syndrome.
shunt
a connector that allows blood flow between two locations.
Shwachman's syndrome
digestive and respiratory disorder of children in which certain digestive enzymes are missing and white blood cells are few.
sialorrhea
drooling
sigmoid colon
lower part of the colon that empties into the rectum
sign language
language of hand shapes, facial expressions, and movements used as a form of communication.
silent ischemia
ischemia not accompanied by chest pain
simple mastectomy
surgical removal of the breast and possibly a few of the axillary lymph nodes close to the breast
sinus (Also called paranasal sinuses.)
air cavities within the facial bones, lined by mucous membranes similar to those in other parts of the airways.
sinus node
the cells that produce the electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract
slump test
a test for assessing the mobility of the pain-sensitive structures in the vertebral canal
small bowel enema
x-rays of the small intestine taken as barium liquid passes through the organ. (See also lower GI series.)
small intestine
organ where most digestion occurs; measures about 20 feet and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
smell
to perceive odor or scent through stimuli affecting the olfactory nerves.
smell disorder
temporary or permanent inability to perceive odors
smooth muscle
muscle that performs automatic tasks, such as constricting blood vessels.
soft-tissue
generally, the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the musculoskeletal system.
somatosensory
refers to sensory signals from all tissues of the body including skin, viscera, muscles, and joints.
somatostatin
a hormone in the pancreas that helps tell the body when to make the hormones insulin, glucagon, gastrin, secretin, and renin.
spasm
a condition in which a muscle or group of muscles involuntarily contract.
spasmodic dysphonia
momentary disruption of the voice caused by involuntary movements of one or more muscles of the larynx (or voice box).
spastic colon
see irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
specific language impairment (SLI)
difficulty with the organized-symbol-system communication in the absence of problems such as mental retardation, hearing loss, or emotional disorders.
speech
making definite vocal sounds that form words to express thoughts and ideas
speech processor
part of a cochlear implant that converts speech sounds into electrical impulses to stimulate the auditory nerve.
speech-language pathologist
health professional trained to evaluate and treat people who have voice, speech, language, or swallowing disorders, including hearing impairments, that affect their ability to communicate.
sphincter
ring-like band of muscle that opens and closes an opening in the body.
sphincter of Oddi
muscle between the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts.
sphygmomanometer
the instrument used to measure blood pressure.
spinal anesthetic
an anesthetic which is injected into the spinal canal fluid for surgery in the lower abdomen, pelvis, rectum, or other lower extremities.
spinal instability
increased motion between vertebra, usually resulting from an injury; pain typically feels like tingling in the neck or arms.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the nerve openings either around the spinal cord or nerve roots that can cause symptoms similar to a pinched nerve; pain is described either as an aching or an electrical feeling down the arm.
Spinal Tumor
Tumors of the spine can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors include schwannomas, neurofibromas and meningiomas. Malignant tumors are most commonly caused by cancers that spread from other body areas (ie lung, breast, kidney or skin cancer). Tumors of the spinal cord itself can be either benign or malignant. Treatment can consist of radiation surgery or combined approaches depending on the tumor type.
Spine
The vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of vertebrae situated in the dorsal aspect of the abdomen.
spine
a column in the body consisting of 33 vertebrae.
spirogram
record of the amounts of air being moved in and out of the lungs.
spleen
organ lying between the stomach and diaphragm that stores red blood cells and filters blood.
splenectomy
surgical removal of the spleen.
splenic flexure syndrome
condition that occurs when air or gas collects in the upper parts of the colon.
spondylosis
a condition of the spine involving a degenerative process.
sputum (Also called phlegm.)
mucous from the lungs
squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL)
like cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), SIL is a term used to classify the degree of precancerous change in cells of the cervix in a condition called cervical dysplasia.
stage
the measurement of the extent of a cancer - whether the disease has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.
staging
an evaluation of the extent of disease that provides the basis for making treatment recommendations.
steatorrhea
condition in which the body cannot absorb fat.
steatosis
see fatty liver.
stenosis
the narrowing or constriction of a blood vessel or valve in the heart.
stereopsis
ability to perceive three-dimensional depth.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
A radiation therapy technique for brain tumors that uses a rigid head frame that is attached to the skull. The frame is used to help aim high-dose radiation beams directly at the tumors and not at normal brain tissue. This procedure does not involve surgery. Also called stereotactic external-beam radiation, stereotactic radiation therapy, and stereotaxic radiosurgery.
sternum
the breastbone
stethoscope
the instrument used to listen to the heart and other sounds in the body
stirrups
technique of ankle strapping using rigid tape placed on the ankle; medial to lateral adhering to the undersurface of the heel, mimicking a stirrup
stoma
opening in the abdomen that is created by an operation (ostomy); must be covered at all times by a bag that collects stool
stomach
main organ of digestion which lies between the esophagus and the small intestine.
stool (Also called feces.)
solid wastes that pass through the rectum as bowel movements. Stools are undigested foods, bacteria, mucus, and dead cells.
straight leg raise (SLR)
technique for measuring sciatic nerve mobility and/or hamstring length.
streptokinase
a clot-dissolving medication.
stress
mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes.
stress fracture
fracture caused by non-traumatic, cumulative overload on a bone; caused by a number of factors including overtraining, incorrect biomechanics, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, poor nutrition, and osteoporosis.
stress incontinence
involuntary leaking of urine which may be caused by coughing or straining.
stress ulcer
upper gastrointestinal ulcer from physical injury such as surgery, major burns, or critical head injury.
striatum
part of the basal ganglia; a large cluster of nerve cells, consisting of the caudate nucleus and the putamen, that controls movement, balance, and walking; the neurons of the striatum require dopamine to function.
stricture (Also called stenosis.)
abnormal narrowing of a body opening. (See also esophageal stricture and pyloric stenosis.)
subacromial joint
a joint made up by the humorous and a superior arch, consisting of the acromion process and the coracoid process of the scapula; joined by the coraco-acromial ligament and lined by the synovium of the subacromial bursa.
subacromial space
region of the shoulder that is bordered by the subacromial joint.
subchondral tissue
the smooth tissue at the ends of bones, which is covered with another type of tissue (called cartilage).
substantia nigra
a small area of the brain containing a cluster of black-pigmented nerve cells that produce dopamine which is then transmitted to the striatum.
sudden deafness
loss of hearing that occurs quickly from such causes as explosion, a viral infection, or the use of some drugs.
sudden death
death that occurs unexpectedly or immediately after onset of symptoms.
Sudeck's atrophy
condition characterized by severe pain, swelling, and disability; commonly seen in the foot, but may occur in other joints of the lower limb.
Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
superior vena cava
the large vein that returns blood to the heart from the head and arms
suprarenal glands
another name for the adrenal glands
Surgery
Surgery (from the Greek cheirourgia - lit. "hand work") is the medical specialty that treats diseases or injuries by operative manual and instrumental treatment. Surgeons are medical practitioners who specialize in surgery.
surgery
operation to remove or repair a part of the body, or to find out if disease is present
suspensory ligament of lens
a series of fibers that connect the ciliary body of the eye with the lens, holding it in place.
sustention tremor (Also called postural tremor.)
a tremor of a limb that increases when the limb is stretched.
synapse
a tiny gap between the ends of nerve fibers across which nerve impulses pass from one neuron to another; at the synapse, an impulse causes the release of a neurotransmitter, which diffuses
syncope
light-headedness or fainting caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain.
syndromic hearing impairment
hearing loss or deafness that is inherited or passed through generations of a family
synovitis
inflammation of the synovial membrane, the tissue that lines and protects the joint.
synovium
a fibrous envelope that produces a fluid that helps to reduce friction and wear in a joint.
systemic treatment (Also called systemic therapy.)
treatment or therapy that reaches and affects cells throughout the body
systolic blood pressure
the highest pressure to which blood pressure rises with the contraction of the heart.
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