Medical terms - Letter C (page 29) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Crohn ileocolitis

Crohn disease involving the ileum (the lowest portion of the small intestine) and the colon (the large intestine). Crohn disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but…
Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease: A chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well. It is named for Burrill Crohn, the American…
Cross training

Doing two or more aerobic activities such as jogging, bicycling, and swimming on a regular basis
Cross-section

In anatomy, a cross-section is a transverse cut through a structure or tissue. The opposite of a cross-section is a longitudinal section. By analogy, a study may be cross-sectional or longitudinal
Cross-sectional study

A study done at one time, not over the course of time. A cross-sectional study might be of a disease such as AIDS at one point in time to learn its prevalence and distribution within the population. Also known as a…
Cross-species transplantation

See Xenotransplantation
Crossed embolism

Passage of a clot (thrombus) from a vein to an artery. When clots in veins break off (embolize) , they travel first to the right side of the heart and, normally, then to the lungs where they lodge. The lungs act as a…
Crossing over

The exchange of genetic material between two paired chromosomes. Crossing over is a way to recombine the genetic material so that each person (except for identical twins) is genetically unique
Crossover study

A type of clinical trial in which the study subjects receive each treatment in a random order. With this type of study, every patient serves as his or her own control
Crotch

A nonmedical term in common usage for the region where the legs come together, the place where the lower limbs divide. The word 'crotch' is thought to be related to the word 'crutch' since the first crutches were likely…
Croup

Croup: A respiratory problem that occurs mainly in children, particularly from 2 to 4 years of age, due to an infection of the respiratory tree -- the larynx (voice box), the trachea (windpipe), and the bronchial tubes…
Crown

1. In dentistry, the portion of the tooth that is covered by enamel. 2. Also in dentistry, a type of restoration that covers all or most of the natural tooth. 3. In anatomy, the top of the head, as in the crown-rump…
CRP

An intestinal infection characterized by diarrhea caused by a microscopic parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum. The parasite lives in the small intestine of humans and animals who pass it in their feces. The parasite is…
Cruciate

Cross-shaped. 'Cruciate' comes from the Latin 'crux' which means 'cross'. (That is the crux of this matter). The cruciate ligaments are so-named because they cross each other. For example, there are cruciate ligaments…
Cruciate ligament, anterior

The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide…
Cruciate ligament, posterior

The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide…
Crutch

A wooden or metal vertical prop that helps support a disabled person while he or she is walking. Crutches extend from the walking surface to either the armpit or the arm. A typical hardwood armpit crutch has a 20-inch…
Cry for help

An expression of suicidal intent in the hope of receiving help and being rescued. A cry for help may take many different forms such as a telephone call, a message left on an answering phone, a note left in a conspicuous…
Cryo-electron microscopy

An electron microscopic technique that involves freezing the biological sample in order to view the sample with the least possible distortion and the fewest possible artifacts. Abbreviated as cryo-EM. In cryo-EM, the…
Cryo-EM

Cryo-electron microscopy
Cryocardioplegia

Paralysis of the heart by cold (hypothermia)
Cryoelectron microscopy

See: Cryo-electron microscopy
Cryoglobulin

An abnormal blood protein that has the unusual properties of precipitating from the blood serum when it is chilled (hence the 'cryo-') and redissolving when it is rewarmed. Cryoglobulins are gamma globulins with a…
Cryoglobulinemia

The presence in blood of abnormal proteins called cryoglobulins that, by definition, have the unusual properties of precipitating from the blood serum when it is chilled and redissolving upon rewarming. (Cryoglobulins…
Cryophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of cold, including cold weather and cold objects. Sufferers from cryophobia experience anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. To avoid cold, they may live in a warm…
Cryopreservation

The process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low temperatures to maintain viability. For example, the technology of cooling and storing cells at a temperature below the freezing point (-196 C)…
Cryoprobe

A surgical probe, a long slender pointed surgical instrument, used to apply extreme cold to tissues. From cryo- from the Greek kryos meaning cold + probe
Cryoprotectant

A chemical component of a freezing solution used in cryopreservation (the process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low temperatures to maintain viability). The purpose of the cryoprotectant is to…
Cryostat

A chamber that can maintain very low temperatures. Medical laboratories use a cryostat to preserve frozen tissue samples while a microtome, an extremely sharp cutting instrument mounted inside cryostats, slices the…
Cryosurgery

Treatment performed with an instrument that freezes and destroys abnormal tissue. See also cryotherapy.
Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy: Literally, 'cold therapy.' Cryotherapy, sometimes referred to as cryosurgery, is a procedure used to destroy tissue of both benign and malignant lesions by the freezing and re-thawing process. Liquid…
Crypt

In anatomy, a crypt is variously a blind alley, a tube with no exit, a depression, or a pit -- in an otherwise fairly flat surface. Cryptic in the case of the tonsils refer to the tonsillar crypts which are little…
Cryptic

Hidden. Cryptic tonsillitis is hidden within the depths of the tonsil. From the Greek 'kryptos' meaning hidden or concealed
Cryptitis

A term that is used to describe one of the abnormalities that is seen under the microscope when small intestinal or colonic tissue is examined. The intestinal crypts are tubular structures composed of cells that…
Crypto

Popular name for both the parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum, and the disease it causes, cryptosporidiosis
Cryptography

The encoding and decoding of secret messages. Cryptography in genetics: The term 'cryptography' can be applied to human DNA since the message of life is encoded in DNA. And for eons even the existence of DNA was unknown…
Cryptorchidism

1. Pertaining to the elbow. 2. Pertaining to the forearm and hand. 3. Pertaining to the ulna. From the Latin cubitum meaning elbow or cubit. The cubit was a unit of length based on the length of the forearm from the…
Cryptosporidiosis

An intestinal infection characterized by diarrhea caused by a microscopic parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum. The parasite lives in the small intestine of humans and animals who pass it in their feces. The parasite is…
Cryptosporidium

See: Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium enteritis

See: Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium parvum

The parasite that causes the disease, cryptosporidiosis. See: Cryptosporidiosis
CSF

1. Cerebrospinal fluid.2. Colony-stimulating factor
CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)

A watery fluid, continuously produced and absorbed, which flows in the ventricles (cavities) within the brain and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord. The CSF is produced by the choroid plexus, a series of…
CSF (colony-stimulating factor)

A laboratory-made agent similar to a substance in the body that stimulates the production of blood cells. The colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) include granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and…
CST3

The gene for cystatin C
CT

Abbreviation for: 1. Cognitive therapy; and, more often today 2. Computerized tomography, as in CT scan. CT is pronounced as the letters C and T
CT cell

See: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte
CT colography

See: Virtual colonoscopy
CT colonography

Another name for virtual colonoscopy. The term CT colonography provides a more accurate description of the technique which is a radiological one that employs computerized tomography (CT) but not a colonoscope
CT scan

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them into pictures on a screen. CT stands for computerized…