Medical terms - Letter C (page 20) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Coenzyme

A substance that enhances the action of an enzyme. (An enzyme is a protein that functions as a catalyst to mediate and speed a chemical reaction). Coenzymes are small molecules. They cannot by themselves catalyze a…
Coenzyme Q10

A compound needed for the proper functioning of an enzyme, a protein that speeds up the rate at which chemical reactions take place in the body. Coenzyme Q10 is used to produce energy to fuel cell growth and…
Coeval

Of the same or equal age or duration. For example, the two elderly men were coeval with one another. Coeval usually refers to coexistence for a very long time. 'Coeval' comes from the Latin 'coaevus' meaning 'of the…
Coffin-Lowry syndrome

An X-linked form of mental retardation in which the affected males have short stature and characteristic face, finger and skeletal abnormalities. Facial features include prominent forehead, widespread eyes, downslanting…
Cogan corneal dystrophy

A disorder in which the cornea (the normally clear front window of the eye) shows grayish fingerprint lines, geographic map-like lines, and dots (or microcysts) on examination with a slit-lamp that focuses a high…
Cogan syndrome

Arteritis (also referred to as vasculitis) that involves the ear. This condition is called Cogan syndrome after the American ophthalmologist David Glendenning Cogan (1908-93) who first described it. Cogan syndrome…
Cognition

The process of knowing and, more precisely, the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging. The study of cognition touches on the fields of psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience…
Cognitive

Pertaining to cognition, the process of knowing and, more precisely, the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging. The study of cognition touches on the fields of psychology, linguistics, computer…
Cognitive behavior therapy

See: Cognitive therapy
Cognitive dysfunction, chemotherapy-related

See: Chemobrain
Cognitive science

Cognitive science is the study of the mind. It is an interdisciplinary science that draws upon many fields including neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, artificial intelligence, and linguistics. The…
Cognitive therapy

A relatively short-term form of psychotherapy based on the concept that the way we think about things affects how we feel emotionally. Cognitive therapy focuses on present thinking, behavior, and communication rather…
Cognitive-behavioral therapy

See: Cognitive therapy
Cohort

In a clinical study, a well-defined group of subjects or patients who have had a common experience or exposure and are then followed up for the incidence of new diseases or events, as in a cohort study. In Rome, a…
Cohort study

A study in which a particular outcome, such as death from a heart attack, is compared in groups of people who are alike in most ways but differ by a certain characteristic, such as smoking. See also: Cohort
Coinsurance

A provision by which the insured individual shares in the cost of certain expenses. The same as co-payment
Coitophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of male-female sexual intercourse. Sufferers from coitophobia experience undue anxiety because they are preoccupied with failing in some way while having heterosexual intercourse. Among…
Coitus

Sexual union of a male and a female; also called sexual intercourse. Coitus begins when the male inserts his erect penis into the female vagina, a canal leading to the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes along the sides…
Coitus interruptus

A method of contraception, also called withdrawal, in which the man withdraws his penis from the vagina before ejaculation. Fertilization is prevented because the sperm do not enter the vagina. The effectiveness of this…
Coke

Street name for cocaine, the most potent stimulant of natural origin, a bitter addictive anesthetic (pain blocker) which is extracted from the leaves of the coca scrub (Erythroxylon coca) indigenous to the Andean…
COL2A1

The gene responsible for the production of the alpha1(II) chain of type II collagen. Mutations in the COL2A1 gene lead to a number of different heritable skeletal disorders, including achondrogenesis type II…
COL4A5

The gene for basement membrane type IV collagen alpha-5 chain. COL4A5 is on the X chromosome in band Xq22.3. Mutations in COL4A5 are responsible for the X-linked form of Alport syndrome, a type of hereditary kidney…
Colchicine

Colchicine: A substance found in a plant that is used in clinical medicine for the treatment of gouty arthritis and in the laboratory to arrest cells during cell division (by disrupting the spindle) so their chromosomes…
COLD (chronic obstructive lung disease)

Any disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COLD mainly involves two related diseases -- chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both bronchitis and emphysema cause chronic obstruction of air flowing through…
Cold injury

Cold injuries include chilblains, 'trench foot,' and frostbite. Cold injuries occur with and without freezing of body tissues. The young and the elderly are especially prone to cold injury. Alcohol increases the risk of…
Cold sore

A small sore situated on the face or in the mouth that causes pain, burning, or itching before bursting and crusting over. The favorite locations are on the lips, chin or cheeks and in the nostrils. Less frequented…
Cold, common

A viral upper respiratory tract infection. This contagious illness can be caused by many different types of viruses, and the body can never build up resistance to all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and…
Cold, June

A popular term for hay fever. Although the symptoms of a 'June cold' may be quite similar to those of a real cold, the term 'June cold' is a misnomer. Unlike a real cold, it is not caused by a virus, but by allergy. It…
Cold, summer

A popular term for hay fever. Although the symptoms of a 'summer cold' may be similar to those of a real cold, the term 'summer cold' is a misnomer. Unlike a real cold, it is not caused by a virus but by allergy. It is…
Colectomy

>Right hemicolectomy -- in which the right part of the colon is removed, >Left hemicolectomy -- where the left portion of the colon is removed, and >Other types of partial colectomies -- where other segments are removed…
Colic

Colic: An attack of crying and apparent abdominal pain in early infancy. This is a common condition, occurring in about 1 in every 10 babies. Colic is characterized by episodes of irritability, loud crying, and what…
Colinear

Arranged in the same linear order. See: Colinearity
Colinearity

1. In general, the arrangement of one sequence in the same linear order as another sequence.2. In developmental genetics, the arrangement of genes on chromosomes in the same order as they are activated along the body…
Colitis

Inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). There are many forms of colitis, including ulcerative, Crohn's, infectious, pseudomembranous, and spastic. For example, intermittent rectal bleeding, crampy abdominal…
Colitis, amebic

Amebic dysentery (inflammation of the intestine) with ulcers in the colon due to infection with an ameba (Entamoeba histolytica), a single-celled parasite transmitted to humans via contaminated water and food. 'Ameba'…
Colitis, Crohn's

Crohn's disease affecting only the large intestine (colon). Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system…
Colitis, granulomatous

Crohn's disease of the colon (the large intestine). Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as…
Colitis, mucus

A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and…
Colitis, pseudomembranous

Severe inflammation of the inner lining of the colon due usually to the clostridium difficile (C.difficile) bacterium, one of the most common causes of infection of the large bowel (colon) in the United States…
Colitis, spastic

A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and…
Colitis, ulcerative

A relatively common disease that causes inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown. Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. It has some similarity to a related disorder…
Colitis, universal

Ulcerative colitis that involves the entire colon (the large intestine). Ulcerative colitis itself is a relatively common disease involving inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown. It is a…
Collagen

Collagen is the principal protein of the skin, tendons, cartilage, bone and connective tissue
Collagen disease

A disease (autoimmune or otherwise) that attacks the collagen or other components of connective tissue, such as lupus
Collagen injection

The practice of injecting collagen into a part of the face or body to make it larger, most often performed on the lips. The effects are long lasting but not permanent. Collagen injections are normally done by a plastic…
Collagen IV alpha 5

See: COL4A5
Collagen, type IV, alpha 5

See: COL4A5
Collagenopathy

Any one of a group of disorders that affect connective tissue, the tissue that supports the body's joints and organs. The collagenopathies are caused by defects in type II or type XI collagen. Collagens are complex…
Collapsed lung

Failure of full expansion of a once fully expanded lung. Medically called atelectasis. The word comes from the Greek 'a-' (without) + 'telos' (complete) + 'rectasis' (expansion) = without complete expansion.
Collapsing pulse

See: Pulse, water hammer