Medical terms - Letter C
1,581 terms start with the letter C.
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Cerebrovascular
Pertaining to the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply the brain. As in cerebrovascular accident or cerebrovascular disease
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Cerebrovascular accident
In many cases, a person may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a neurological event with the symptoms of a stroke, but the symptoms go away within a short period of time. This is often caused by the narrowing or…
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Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) prevention
In many cases, a person may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a neurological event with the symptoms of a stroke, but the symptoms go away within a short period of time. This is often caused by the narrowing or…
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Cerebrovascular disease
Disease of the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply the brain. Cerebrovascular disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis and can lead to a stroke. See also atherosclerosis, stroke
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Cerebrovascular ferrocalcinosis
A condition, first described in 1930 by T. Fahr and therefore called Fahr syndrome, that is a genetic (inherited) neurological disorder characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium in certain of areas of the brain…
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Cerebrum
The largest part of the brain. It is divided into two hemispheres, or halves. The word 'cerebrum' is the Latin word for 'brain.' The Romans used the same word to refer to the 'skull' (which houses the brain) and the…
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Certified midwife
A midwife who has been certified by her state or national agency for credentialing midwives
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Certified nurse-midwife
A person with an AS, BS, or Master's degree in nursing who has also completed specialized training in midwifery. In the US, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) must earn certification from the American College of…
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Certified professional midwife
A midwife who has completed a degree in midwifery at a credentialed educational institution. Abbreviated CPM
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Ceruloplasmin deficiency
Lack of the protein ceruloplasmin from the blood and accumulation of iron in the pancreas, liver and brain, causing diabetes and progressive nervous system degeneration with the tremors and gait abnormalities…
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Cervical
Having to do with any kind of neck including the neck on which the head is perched and the neck of the uterus. The word 'cervix' in Latin means 'neck'. That is why cervical vertebrae and cervical cancer involve quite…
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Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer: Cancer of the entrance to the womb (uterus). The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ, is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between the…
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Cervical cap
A soft rubber cup with a round rim designed to fit snugly around the cervix and act as a barrier contraceptive device. A spermicide is applied to the cap before insertion to kill sperm. A cervical cap is basically a…
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Cervical cerclage
The surgical placement of a purse-string suture around an incompetent cervix, one that is abnormally liable to dilate, in order to prevent premature onset of labor and a miscarriage. The suture material must be removed…
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Cervical disc
A disk shaped piece of specialized tissue that separates the vertebral bones of the spinal column in the neck. The center of the disc, which is called the nucleus, is soft, springy and receives the shock of standing…
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Cervical dysplasia
Changes from normal in the cells lining the cervix of the uterus. Cervical dysplasia involves a sequence of cellular changes from mild to severe that are not yet cancerous but constitute the prelude to cervical cancer…
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Cervical dystocia
Difficult labor and delivery caused by mechanical obstruction at the cervix. Dystocia comes from the Greek 'dys' meaning 'difficult, painful, disordered, abnormal' + 'tokos' meaning 'birth.
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Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
A general term for the growth of abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix. Numbers from 1 to 3 may be used to describe how much of the cervix contains abnormal cells. Also called CIN.
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Cervical kyphosis, postmenopausal
An outward curvature (kyphosis) of the cervical vertebrae (the bones of the neck), creating a hump at the back of the neck. This condition, once thought to be a characteristic deformity of older women, was called a…
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Cervical rib
>True ribs: The first seven ribs attach to the sternum (the breast bone) in the front and are known as true (or sternal) ribs. >False ribs: The lower five ribs do not directly connect to the sternum and are known as…
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Cervical vertebra, first
The first cervical (neck) vertebra is called the atlas. It supports the head. The atlas bone is named for the Greek god Atlas who was condemned to support the earth and its heavens on his shoulders. (Because the god…
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Cervical vertebra, second
The second cervical vertebra is called the axis. It is so-named because the uppermost cervical vertebra (called the atlas) rotates about the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra. The joint between the axis…
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Cervical vertebrae
The cervical (neck) vertebrae are the upper 7 vertebrae in the spinal column (the vertebral column). They are designated C1 through C7 from the top down. C1 is called the atlas. It supports the head and is named for the…
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Cervicectomy
Surgical removal of the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina. Cervicectomy is also called trachelectomy. Cervicectomy is done in younger women with early cancer of the cervix (with a…
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Cervicitis
Inflammation of the cervix
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Cervix
The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ, is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the…
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Cervix, incompetent
A cervix that is abnormally liable to dilate and so is not competent to hold the fetus and keep it from being spontaneously aborted (miscarried)
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Cesarian section
The obstetrical procedure is often spelled this way in the U.S. with just an 'e' although the Roman emperor remains Caesar in America with an 'ae'. Also referred to as a C-section. No matter what, it is a procedure in…
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Cesarian section, lower segment (LSCS)
A Cesarian section in which the surgical incision (cut) is made in the lower segment of the uterus
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Cesarian section, vaginal birth after
It was once the rule that, after a C-section, the next delivery also had to be by C-section. Now, vaginal delivery after Cesarian section (VBAC) is sometimes feasible. Age is one the factors that need to be considered…
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Ceteris paribus
1. Literally (in Latin), other things the same. 2. Figuratively, all else being equal (staying the same). 3. In research, the effect of one variable when other factors remain constant. The ceteris paribus thinking has…
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CF
1. Cystic fibrosis, one of the most frequent and serious genetic diseases, CF affects the exocrine glands and is characterized by the production of abnormal secretions, leading to mucous build-up. This accumulation of…
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CFS
Chronic fatigue syndrome
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CFTR
Cystic fibrosis conductance regulator. Mutations in the gene for CFTR are responsible for cystic fibrosis. The CFTR gene is located on chromosome 7
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Chagas disease
An infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Also called American trypanosomiasis. Transmitted by reduviid bugs, or kissing bugs, that live in cracks and holes of substandard housing primarily found in South…
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Chain-termination codon
A set of three adjacent bases in the DNA or their complementary bases in messenger RNA that specifies the end of a polypeptide chain. The three chain-termination codons (in messenger RNA) are UAA, UAG, and UGA. They are…
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Chalazion
Chalazion: A cyst of the little glands in the eyelids that make a lubricant which they discharge through tiny openings in the edges of the lids. The lubricant is a fatty substance called sebum characteristic of…
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Chamber, anterior
The space in the eye that is behind the cornea and in front of the iris. The cornea is the outer, transparent, dome-like structure that covers the iris, pupil, and the anterior chamber. The iris is the colored ring of…
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Chamber, posterior
The space in the eye behind the iris and in front of the lens. The iris is the colored ring of tissue that regulates the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil. The lens is the transparent…
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Chamomile
An herb often used in the form of a tea as a sedative. Allergic reactions to chamomile can occur, particularly in persons allergic to ragweed. Reported reactions include abdominal cramps, tongue thickness, tightness in…
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CHAMPUS
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (in the United States). CHAMPUS is a federally-funded health program that provides beneficiaries with medical care supplemental to that available in…
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Chancre
The classic painless ulcer of syphilis. The chancre forms in the first (primary) stage of syphilis. It is highly contagious and can last 1-5 weeks. The disease can be transmitted from contact with the ulcer, which is…
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Chancroid
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi. Periodic outbreaks of chancroid have occurred in the US, usually in minority populations in the inner cities. This disease is common in…
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Chandipura virus
A virus that causes fever, symptoms similar to those of flu, and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Chandipura virus was first isolated in 1965 in a village in Maharashtra State, India. Since then, the…
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Change of life
The change of life is the menopause, the time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop. Menopause is the opposite of the menarche. Menopause is defined as the time when there has been no menstrual…
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Change, single base
A change in which a single base in the DNA differs from the usual base at that position. These single base changes are also called SNPs or 'snips.' Millions of SNP's have been cataloged in the human genome. Some SNPs…
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Channel, ion
See: Ion channel
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Channelopathy
A disease involving dysfunction of an ion channel. Channelopathies are known that involve the ion channels for potassium, sodium, chloride and calcium. There are also channelopathies involving the acetylcholine…
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Chaperone
Dry, cracked or sore lips, usually in cold, windy, dry weather and less often in warm weather. Sun exposure can contribute to chapping of the lips. Licking or biting the lips does not help the situation. The lips are…
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Chapped lips
>Do not lick or bite the lips. >Use a chapstick or lipstick on the lips before going outside. Reapply it several times while outside. >Use a chapstick that has a sunscreen in it when going outside during the day. >Avoid…