Medical terms - Letter A
1,573 terms start with the letter A.
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Atrial
Pertaining to the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, as in atrial fibrillation and atrial septal defect
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Atrial arrhythmias
See: Arrhythmias, atrial
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Atrial fib
Atrial fibrillation
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Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation: Abnormal irregular heart rhythm with chaotic generation of electrical signals in the atria of the heart. Familiarly called atrial fib.
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Atrial flutter
Well-organized but overly rapid contractions of the atrium of the heart (usually at a rate of 250-350 contractions per minute). Flutter refers to a rapid vibration or pulsation. The difference between flutter and…
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Atrial septal defect (ASD)
A hole in the septum, the wall, between the atria, the upper chambers of the heart. Commonly called an ASD. ASDs constitute a major class of heart formation abnormalities present at birth (congenital cardiac…
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Atrial septum
The wall between the two upper chambers (the right and left atrium) of the heart
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Atriodigital dysplasia
See: Holt-Oram syndrome
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Atrioventricular (AV)
Pertaining to the atria (the upper chambers of the heart) and the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). The AV node is an electrical relay station between the atria and the ventricles. Electrical signals from…
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Atrioventricular node
The atrioventricular (AV) node is an electrical relay station between the atria (the upper) and the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). Electrical signals from the atria must pass through the AV node to reach…
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Atrium
One of the two smaller chambers of the heart. Each atrium consists of an open space with recessed walls. The plural of atrium is atria. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body through the vena cava…
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Atrophic vaginitis
Thinning of the lining (the endothelium) of the vagina due to decreased production of estrogen. This may occur with menopause. Vaginitis means inflammation of the vagina, the muscular canal extending from the cervix to…
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Atrophy
Wasting away or diminution. Muscle atrophy is wasting of muscle, decrease in muscle mass. A nerve can also show atrophy. For example, atrophy of the optic nerve diminishes vision.
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Atrophy, peroneal muscular
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
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Atropine
A drug obtained from belladonna that is administered via injection, eye drops, or in oral form to relax muscles by inhibiting nerve responses. Used to dilate the pupils and as an antispasmodic. From the Greek goddess…
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Atropine psychosis
A syndrome characterized by dry mouth, blurred vision, forgetfulness, and difficulty with urination triggered by atropine and the anticholinergic effects of other drugs, particularly anti-psychotic medications…
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ATSDR
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Public Health Service that works with states and other federal agencies to prevent exposure to…
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Attack, vasovagal
See: Vasovagal reaction
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Attention
The ability to focus selectively on a selected stimulus, sustaining that focus and shifting it at will. The ability to concentrate. 'Everyone knows what attention is,' wrote William James in his Principles of Psychology…
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Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
Attention deficit disorder (ADD): An inability to control behavior due to difficulty in processing neural stimuli. In November, 1998 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus report developed by a panel…
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Der=0> ODYvAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2> vAlign=top width='100%' bgColor=#ffffff>Our Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Attention…
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Attention getting
Attention getting is not a simple automatic act. It requires complex active thought processing. The types of stimuli that are attention getting depend on past experience, individual reactivity, and what a person…
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Attentional
Relating to attention. The term is used in psychology and child development as, for example, early television exposure has been found to be associated with attentional problems at age 7
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Attenuate
To weaken, dilute, thin, reduce, weaken, diminish. The use of 'attenuate' in medicine is not new. In the 16th century, eating dried figs was claimed to attenuate the body fluids. Now 'attenuate' refers to procedures…
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Attenuated
Weakened, diluted, thinned, reduced, weakened, diminished. The use of 'attenuated' in medicine is not new. In the 16th century, eating dried figs was claimed to attenuate the body fluids. Now 'attenuated' refers to…
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Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis
An inherited predisposition to colorectal cancer characterized by fewer than 100 adenomatous polyps in the colon and rectum. It is said to be attenuated because there are fewer polyps than in classic familial…
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Attenuated FAP
Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis
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Attenuated virus
To attenuate is to weaken or to make (or become) thin. The word derives from a combination of the Latin prefix 'ad-,' meaning 'to' or 'toward,' and 'tenuis,' meaning 'thin.' The use of 'attenuate' in medicine is not…
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Atypical
Not typical, not usual, not normal, abnormal. Atypical is often used to refer to the appearance of precancerous or cancerous cells
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Atypical measles syndrome (AMS)
Measles syndrome (AMS): An altered expression of measles, AMS begins suddenly with high fever, headache, cough, and abdominal pain. The rash may appear 1 to 2 days later, often beginning on the limbs. Swelling (edema)…
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Audiogram
A test of hearing at a range of sound frequencies.
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Audiologist
A health care professional who is trained to evaluate hearing loss and related disorders, including balance (vestibular) disorders and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and to rehabilitate individuals with hearing loss and…
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Audiology
The study of hearing.
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Audiometry
The measurement of hearing.
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Auditory acuity
The clarity or clearness of hearing, a measure of how well a person hears. Auditory acuity is what is measured when determining the need for a hearing aide and monitoring the ability to hear. The word 'acuity' comes…
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Auditory aphasia
Impairment in the understanding of auditory language and communication. Sounds are heard but they convey no meaning. The 20th century Russian composer Vissarion Shebalin had auditory aphasia after a stroke but remained…
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Auditory brainstem response test
See: ABR test
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Auditory cortex
The part of the brain that is concerned with hearing. The auditory cortex is the temporal lobe, which the lower lobe of the cerebral hemisphere just forward of the occipital lobe
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Auditory disease, central
A condition in which there is an inability to differentiate, recognize or understand sounds while both the hearing and intelligence are normal. The problem is 'central' as regards the auditory pathways. (In technical…
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Auditory integration training
An experimental procedure for reducing painful hypersensitivity to sound. It has proved beneficial for some people with autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders
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Auditory perception
The ability to identify, interpret, and attach meaning to sound
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Auditory prosthesis
A device that enhances the ability to hear or substitutes for it. More commonly called a hearing aid. See: Hearing aid
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Auditory tube
The tube that runs from the middle ear to the pharynx, also known as the Eustachian tube. The function of this tube is to protect, aerate and drain the middle ear (and mastoid). Occlusion of the Eustachian tube leads to…
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Aura
A premonition. There is often an aura before a migraine or a grand mal seizure. The aura, a symptom of brain malfunction, may consist of flashing lights, a gleam of light, blurred vision, an odor, the feeling of a…
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Aural vertigo, recurrent
A condition, also known as Meniere's disease, with recurrent vertigo accompanied by ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and deafness. Symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of hearing (in the affected…
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Auricle
1. The principal projecting part of the ear. Also called the pinna.2. Something ear shaped such as the upper chambers of the heart. Also called the atria.Auricle is not to be confounded with oracle. Neither the pinna…
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Auricular
Of or pertaining to the outer ear. Adjective form of auricle. (Not to be confused with avuncular which refers to an uncle)
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Auscultate
To listen to the sounds made by the internal organs of the body for diagnostic purposes. For example, nurses and doctors auscultate the lungs and heart of a patient by using a stethoscope placed on the patient's chest.
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Austin Flint murmur
A murmur due to aortic regurgitation, originating at the mitral valve when blood enters simultaneously from both the aorta and the left atrium. The murmur is named for Austin Flint who described it in 1862: 'In some…
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Autism
G=4 cel ODYvAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2> vAlign=top width='100%' bgColor=#ffffff>Our Autism Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Autism Autism: A spectrum of…