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The Glossary is very useful
for the explanation of medical terminology.
Click on a letter
to view the corresponding section of the glossary:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
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U . . .
- Ulcer
- A break in the skin; a deep
sore;A sore on the skin surface or on the stomach lining.
People with diabetes may get ulcers from minor scrapes
on the feet or legs, from cuts that heal slowly, or from
the rubbing of shoes that do not fit well. Ulcers can
become infected.
- Ulcerative Colitis
- A serious disease that causes
ulcers and irritation in the inner lining of the colon
and rectum.
- Upper GI Series
- X-rays of the esophagus,
stomach, and duodenum. The patient swallows barium first.
Barium makes the organs show up on x-rays.
- Urea
- One of the chief waste products
of the body. When the body breaks down food, it uses what
it needs and throws the rest away as waste. The kidneys
flush the waste from the body in the form of urea, which
is in the urine.
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V . . .
- Vagal
- pertaining to the vagus
nerve, which supplies sensory connections to the ear,
tongue, and pharynx
- Vagotomy
- An operation to cut the
vagus nerve. This causes the stomach to make less acid.
- Vasculitis
- inflammation of a blood
vessel
- Vasoconstriction
- a narrowing of the blood
vessels
- Vestibular System
- the organ of the inner ear
containing several three semicircular ducts at right angles
to one another; helps keep the body balanced
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- Villi
- The tiny, fingerlike projections
on the surface of the small intestine. Villi help absorb
nutrients.
- Viral Hepatitis
- Hepatitis caused by a virus..
- Viremia
- the presence of virus in
the bloodstream.
- Virion
- a mature infectious virus
particle existing outside a cell.
- Virus
- a microorganism composed
of a piece of genetic material -- RNA or DNA -- surrounded
by a protein coat. To replicate, a virus must infect a
cell and direct its cellular machinery to produce new
viruses.
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- Volvulus
- A twisting of the stomach
or large intestine. May be caused by the stomach being
in the wrong position, a foreign substance, or abnormal
joining of one part of the stomach or intestine to another.
Volvulus can lead to blockage, perforation, peritonitis,
and poor blood flow.
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W . . .
- Watermelon Stomach
- Parallel red sores in the
stomach that look like the stripes on a watermelon.
- Wilson's Disease
- An inherited disorder. Too
much copper builds up in the liver and is slowly released
into other parts of the body. The overload can cause severe
liver and brain damage if not treated with medication.
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X . . .
- Xerostomia
- Dry mouth. The condition
can be caused by a number of things, including rheumatoid
arthritis, diabetes, kidney failure, infection with HIV
(the virus that causes AIDS), drugs used to treat depression,
and radiation treatment for mouth or throat cancer.
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Y . . .
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Z . . .
- Zenker's Diverticulum
- Pouches in the esophagus
from increased pressure in and around the esophagus.
- Zollinger-Ellison
Syndrome
- A group of symptoms that
occur when a tumor called a gastrinoma forms in the pancreas.
The tumor, which may cause cancer, releases large amounts
of the hormone gastrin. The gastrin causes too much acid
in the duodenum, resulting in ulcers, bleeding, and perforation.
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