Medical terms - Letter B (page 2) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Balance, acid-base

Acid-base balance refers to the mechanisms the body uses to keep its fluids close to neutral pH (that is, neither basic nor acidic) so that the body can function normally
Balance, sense of

Our sense of balance is regulated by a complex interaction of the following parts of the nervous system: > >The inner ears (also called the labyrinth) monitor the directions of motion, such as turning or…
Balanitis

Inflammation of the rounded head (the glans) of the penis. Inflammation of the foreskin is called posthitis. In the uncircumcised male, balanitis and posthitis generally occur together as balanoposthitis: inflammation…
Balanitis, circinate

A form of skin inflammation around the penis in males with Reiter's syndrome. The skin around the shaft and tip (glans) penis can become inflamed and scale. This inflammation around the penis can be helped by cortisone…
Balanoposthitis

In the uncircumcised male, balanitis (inflammation of the glans, the rounded head of the penis) and posthitis (inflammation of the foreskin) usually occur together as balanoposthitis: inflammation of both the glans and…
Balantidiasis

The disease caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Balantidium
Balantidium

A genus of protozoa with cilia that includes Balantidium coli (B. coli). B. coli is the largest protozoan and the only ciliate parasite to infect humans. The disease that B. coli causes is called balantidiasis. Clinical…
Baldness

Medically known as alopecia. There are many types of baldness, each with a different cause. Baldness may be localized to the front and top of the head, as in the very common type of male-pattern baldness; baldness may…
Baldness, patchy

Baldness, patchy: Patchy baldness. Also referred to as alopecia areata. Alopecia means baldness and areata means occurring in patches. This process typically begins with patchy hair loss on the scalp and sometimes…
Ball-and-socket joint

A ball-and-socket joint is one in which the round end of a bone fits into the cavity of another bone. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint
Balloon angioplasty

Coronary angioplasty is accomplished using a balloon-tipped catheter inserted through an artery in the groin or arm to enlarge a narrowing in a coronary artery. Coronary artery disease occurs when cholesterol plaque…
Balloon tamponade

A procedure in which a balloon is inflated within the esophagus or stomach to apply pressure on bleeding blood vessels, compress the vessels, and stop the bleeding. Used in the treatment of bleeding veins in the…
Bambino

The little child who is the infant in swaddling, the symbol of pediatrics, sculpted by the Florentine artist Andrea della Robbia (1437-1528)
Ban zhi lian

See: Scutellaria barbata
Band, chromosome

One of the transverse bands produced on chromosomes by differential staining techniques. Depending on the particular staining technique, the bands are alternating light and dark or fluorescent and nonfluorescent. Each…
Band, Q

A form of chromosome band, one of the bright and dull fluorescent bands seen alternating along the length of chromosomes under ultraviolet light after the chromosomes are stained with quinacrine. The Q in Q band stands…
Banding of chromosomes

The treatment of chromosomes to reveal characteristic patterns of horizontal bands like bar codes. The banding patterns lend each chromosome a distinctive appearance so the 22 pairs of human nonsex chromosomes and the X…
Bannayan syndrome

A genetic disease characterized by macrocephaly (enlarged head), multiple lipomas (benign fatty tumors) and hemangiomas (benign blood vessel tumors). The macrocephaly occurs without enlargement of the cerebral…
Bar chart

Proper term in mathematics for what is popularly called a bar graph. See: Bar graph
Bar graph

A visual display using bars to represent the relative size of different categories of a variable, with each category or value of the variable represented by a bar, usually with a gap between the bars. A bar graph is…
Barbara McClintock

See: McClintock, Barbara
Barbat skullcap

See: Scutellaria barbata
Barber itch

A superficial fungal infection of the skin in the bearded area of the face and neck, with swellings and marked crusting, often with itching, sometimes causing the hair to break off. The name harks back to the days when…
Bariatric

Pertaining to bariatrics, the field of medicine concerned with weight loss
Bariatric physician

A physician practicing bariatrics, the field of medicine concerned with weight loss. Also called a bariatrician. The terms are used interchangeably. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians states that: 'These…
Bariatric surgery

Surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help a person with extreme obesity lose weight. Bariatric surgery is an option for people who have a body mass index (BMI) above 40. Surgery is also an option for people with…
Bariatrician

A physician practicing bariatrics, the field of medicine concerned with weight loss. Also called a bariatric physician. The terms are used interchangeably. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians states that…
Bariatrics

The field of medicine that offers treatment for the person who is overweight with a comprehensive program including diet and nutrition, exercise, behavior modification, lifestyle changes and, when indicated, the…
Barium

1. A metallic element belonging to the alkaline earths with an atomic number of 56 and an atomic weight of 137.34. The symbol for barium is Ba.2. In medicine, refers to a chalky solution of barium used to coat the…
Barium enema

Barium enema: A series of x-rays of the lower intestine (colon) and rectum that are taken after the patient is given an enema with a white, chalky solution that contains barium. The barium outlines the intestines on the…
Barium enema x-ray

See: Lower GI series
Barium solution

A liquid containing barium sulfate. The barium is radioopaque -- it shows up on x-rays. The barium outlines organs of the body such as the intestines so they can be seen on x-ray film. One use of a barium solution, for…
Barium swallow

An upper gastrointestinal series (barium swallow) is an X-ray test used to define the anatomy of the upper digestive tract. Women who are or may be pregnant should notify the doctor requesting the procedure and the…
Barker, Horace Albert

(1907-2000) American biochemist who, among other things, discovered the biologically active forms of vitamin B12. Horace Albert Barker, informally called 'Nook,' was educated at Stanford University and earned a PhD in…
Barlow syndrome

Barlow syndrome is mitral valve prolapse (also known as 'click murmur syndrome'), the most common heart valve abnormality, affecting 5-10% of the world population. Most patients have no symptoms and require no…
Baroparesis

Reversible paralysis of the facial nerve due to pressure in the middle ear going up in a plane or surfacing in scuba diving. The excessive pressure in the middle ear compresses the facial nerve and causes temporary…
Barosinusitis

Sinus troubles, particularly with pain, due to changing atmospheric pressures, as when going up or down in a plane. Also called aerosinusitis or sinus barotrauma
Barotitis

Middle ear problems due to changing atmospheric pressures, as when a plane descends to land. The problems include ear pain, ringing, diminished hearing and, sometimes, dizziness. The word barotitis (pronounced…
Barotrauma

Trauma caused by rapid or extreme changes in air pressure, especially affecting enclosed cavities within the body such as the middle ear (otic barotrauma), the sinuses (sinus barotrauma), and the lungs (pulmonary…
Barotrauma, otic

See: Otic barotrauma
Barotrauma, sinus

See: Sinus barotrauma
Barr body

A microscopic feature of female cells due to the presence of two X chromosomes in the female. One of these X chromosomes is inactive and is crumpled up to form the Barr body
Barrett esophagus

See: Barrett's esophagus
Barrett's esophagus

Ng=0 width='100%' border=0> ODYvAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2> vAlign=top width='100%' bgColor=#ffffff>Our Barrett's esophagus Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Barrett's…
Bartholin's glands

A pair of glands between the vulva and the vagina that produce lubrication in response to stimulation. With a second pair of nearby glands called the lesser vestibular glands, they act to aid in sexual intercourse. Also…
Bartonella quintana

Also called Rochalimaea quintana, this microorganism is an unusual rickettsia that can multiply within the gut of the body louse and then can be transmitted to humans. Transmission to people can occur by rubbing…
Bartter syndrome

A group of disorders that are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and are characterized by impaired salt reabsorption by the kidney with pronounced salt wasting, hypokalemia (low blood potassium), alkalosis (an…
Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma: The most common type of skin cancer, a disease in which the cancer cells resemble the basal cells of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas usually appear as the classic…
Basal cell nevus syndrome

The Gorlin syndrome
Basal cells

Small, round cells found in the lower part, or base, of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin