Medical terms - Letter C (page 22) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Colposcopy

Colposcopy: A procedure in which a gynecologist uses a lighted magnifying instrument which is called a colposcope to examine the tissues of the vagina and the cervix.
Colpotomy

A surgical incision in the vagina. The -tomy part of the word comes from the Greek tome meaning cutting
Coma

Coma: A state of deep unarousable unconsciousness. Coma may occur as the result of numerous causes including head trauma, diseases such as diabetes, poisoning, etc.
Coma, diabetic

Coma in a diabetic due to the buildup of ketones in the bloodstream. Ketones are a product of metabolizing (using) fats rather than the sugar glucose for energy. The best approach to diabetic coma is prevention. Careful…
Combined oral contraceptive

Commonly called 'the pill,' combined oral contraceptives are the most commonly used form of reversible birth control in the United States. This form of birth control suppresses ovulation (the monthly release of an egg…
Comedo

The primary sign of acne consisting of a dilated (widened) hair follicle filled with keratin squamae (skin debris), bacteria, and sebum (oil). A comedo may be closed or open. A closed comedo has an obstructed opening to…
Comedones

The plural of comedo, the primary sign of acne, consisting of a dilated (widened) hair follicle filled with keratin squamae (skin debris), bacteria, and sebum (oil). Comedones may be closed or open. A closed comedo has…
Commensal

1. Living in a relationship in which one organism derives food or other benefits from another organism without hurting or helping it. Commensal bacteria are part of the normal flora in the mouth.2. An intimate…
Comminuted fracture

A fracture in which bone is broken, splintered or crushed into a number of pieces. NTER> Note that 'comminuted fracture' is distinguished from a 'compound fracture,' an open fracture in which the bone is sticking…
Common acute lymphocytic leukemia antigen

(CALLA) A cell surface enzyme with neutral metalloendopeptidase activity that serves as a marker for the common form of ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia) as well as for Burkitt lymphoma and follicular germinal center…
Common bile duct

The duct that carries bile from the gallbladder and liver into the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine). The common bile duct is formed by the junction of the cystic duct that comes from the gallbladder and…
Common cold

Common cold: 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…
Common hepatic duct

The duct formed by the junction of the right hepatic duct (which drains bile from the right half of the liver) and the left hepatic duct (which drains bile from the left half of the liver). The common hepatic duct then…
Common migraine

Migraine without aura. The most frequent type, accounting for about 80-85% of migraine. See: Migraine
Commotio cordis

Sudden cardiac arrest from a blunt, nonpenetrating blow to the chest. The basis of the cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation (a chaotically abnormal heart rhythm) triggered by chest wall impact immediately over the…
Community-acquired infection

An infection acquired in the community. In contrast to a nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infection
Comorbidity

The coexistence of two or more disease processes.
Compartment syndrome

A condition in which there is swelling and an increase in pressure within a limited space (a compartment) that presses on and compromises blood vessels, nerves, and/or tendons that run through that compartment. Hence…
Compassionate use

Term used in the US for a method of providing experimental therapeutics prior to final FDA approval for use in humans. This procedure is used with very sick individuals who have no other treatment options. Often…
Complement system

A series of molecules that work together to perform many immune system functions. For example, the complement system helps to dissolve and remove immune complexes and to kill foreign cells
Complementary DNA

1. Anemia at birth. 2. Synonym for Rh incompatibility.
Complementary medicine

A group of diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines that are used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery…
Complementary sequence

Nucleic acid sequence of bases that can form a double- stranded structure by matching base pairs. For example, the complementary sequence to C-A-T-G (where each letter stands for one of the bases in DNA) is G-T-A-C
Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome

A genetic disorder that makes XY fetuses insensitive (unresponsive) to androgens (male hormones). Instead, they are born looking externally like normal girls. Internally, there is a short blind-pouch vagina and no…
Complete blood count

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These measurements are generally determined by specially designed machines that analyze the different components of blood in less than a…
Complete hysterectomy

Hysterectomy: Complete surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. Also called a total hysterectomy.
Complete syndactyly

A condition in which singers or toes are completely joined together, with the connection extending from the base to the tip of the involved digits. Complete syndactyly is the opposite of partial syndactyly, in which the…
Completely-in-the-canal hearing aid

The smallest and most discreet of the common styles of hearing instruments. Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are custom designed to fit entirely in the ear canal, improving sound quality and reducing feedback…
Complex partial seizure

A form of partial seizure during which the person loses awareness. The patient does not actually become unconscious, and he or she may carry out actions as complex as walking, talking, or driving. The patient may have…
Complicated grief

Grief that is complicated by adjustment disorders (especially depressed and anxious mood or disturbed emotions and behavior), major depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder are Complicated grief…
Complication

In medicine, an additional problem that arises following a procedure, treatment or illness and is secondary to it. A complication complicates the situation
Complications, postoperative

Postoperative problems affecting patients after surgery. Postoperative complications may (or may not) be directly related to the disease for which the surgery was done or to the surgery itself.
Compound 118

Trade name of the insecticide aldrin. See: Aldrin and dieldrin
Compound fracture

A fracture in which the bone is sticking through the skin. Also called an open fracture. NTER> Note that a 'comminuted fracture' in which the bone is fragmented is distinguished from a 'compound fracture.'
Compound heterozygote

The presence of two different mutant alleles at a particular gene locus, one on each chromosome of a pair. The human genome contains two copies of each gene, a paternal and a maternal allele. A mutation affecting only…
Compound microscope

A microscope which consists of two microscopes in series, the first serving as the ocular lens (close to the eye) and the second serving as the objective lens (close to the object to be viewed). Credit for creating the…
Compress

1. As a noun, a cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held in place for a period of time. A compress can be any temperature (cold, luke warm, or hot) and it can be dry or wet. It…
Compression

1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve compression, or spinal cord compression. 2. To shorten in time. In embryology, there may be compression of development with some stages even omitted
Compression fracture

A fracture caused by compression, the act of pressing together. Compression fractures of the vertebrae are especially common with osteoporosis. NTER> Note that a 'compression fracture' is distinct from a 'comminuted…
Compression, biliary

See: Biliary compression
Compression, nerve

See: Nerve compression
Compulsive shopping

An obsession with shopping that significantly interferes with the functioning of the individual. The signs are a preoccupation with shopping; anxiety when not shopping; a constant need for a shopping 'fix'; shopping to…
Computed tomography

An x-ray procedure that uses the help of a computer to produce a detailed picture of a cross section of the body. Also called a CT scan or CAT scan
Computed tomography colography

See: Virtual colonoscopy
Computer addiction

A disorder in which the individual turns to the Internet or plays computer games in an attempt to change moods, overcome anxiety, deal with depression, reduce isolation or loneliness, or distract themselves from…
Computerized axial tomography (CAT)

Cat scanning adds X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional views anatomy. It can identify normal and abnormal structures and be used to guide procedures. CAT scanning is painless…
Computerized axial tomography scan

Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them in pictures. The CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan can reveal some soft-tissue and other…
Computerized tomography

Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them in pictures. The computerized tomography (CT) scan can reveal some soft-tissue and other…
COMT

Abbreviation for catechol-O-methyltransferase
Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur

(1859-1930) British physician, better known as the writer who created Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Educated at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, Conan Doyle received a medical degree in 1881, served as a…