Medical terms - Letter D (page 18) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing, swallowing problems. Dysphagia is due to problems in nerve or muscle control. It is common, for example, after a stroke. Dysphagia compromises nutrition and hydration and may lead to aspiration…
Dysphasia

One in a group of speech disorders in which there is impairment of the power of expression by speech, writing, or signs, or impairment of the power of comprehension of spoken or written language. More severe forms of…
Dysphonia

See: Spasmodic dysphonia.
Dysphonia, spasmodic

See: Spasmodic dysphonia
Dysphonia, spastic

See: Spasmodic dysphonia
Dysphoria

Anxiety
Dysphoric mania

The concurrent presence of symptoms of depression and mania together. Also called Mixed bipolar state
Dysplasia

Abnormal in form. From the Greek dys- (bad, disordered, abnormal) and plassein (to form). For example, retinal dysplasia is abnormal formation of the retina during embryonic development.
Dysplasia, arteriohepatic

Also known as Alagille syndrome, this ia a genetic disorder characterized by jaundice in the newborn period, liver disease with cholestasis, peripheral pulmonic stenosis and unusual face. Children with Alagille syndrome…
Dysplasia, bronchopulmonary

See: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Dysplasia, cleidocranial

>Absent or incompletely formed collar bones (the 'cleido-' part refers to the clavicles, the collar bones) The child with this disorder can bring its shoulders together or nearly so; and >Typical cranial and facial…
Dysplasia, congenital hip

The abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball at the top of the thighbone (the femoral head) is not stable within the socket (the acetabulum). The ligaments of the hip joint may also be loose and stretched…
Dysplasia, faciodigitogenital

See: Aarskog-Scott syndrome
Dysplasia, faciogenital

See: Aarskog-Scott syndrome
Dysplasia, thanatophoric

A form of short-limbed (micromelic) dwarfism that usually causes death within the first few hours after birth. Thanatophoric dysplasia is due to a lethal mutation (change) in the same gene that produces achondroplasia…
Dysplastic nevi

Atypical moles whose appearance is different from that of a common ordinary mole. Dysplastic nevi tend to be larger than ordinary moles, have more irregular borders, are often mixed in color and present in large…
Dysplastic nevus

An atypical mole whose appearance is different from that of a common ordinary mole. Dysplastic nevi tend to be larger than ordinary moles, have more irregular borders, are often mixed in color and present in large…
Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnea is a sign of serious disease of the airway, lungs, or heart. The onset of dyspnea should not be ignored but is reason to seek medical attention. The word…
Dyspnoea

Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnoea is a sign of serious disease of the airway, lungs, or heart. The onset of dyspnoea should not be ignored but is reason to seek medical attention. The word…
Dyspraxia

Impaired or painful function of any organ of the body
Dyspraxia of speech

A developmental disability characterized by difficulty in muscle control, specifically of the muscles involved in producing speech. It is caused by a neurological difference that has not yet been pinpointed. Treatment…
Dyspraxia, developmental

A pattern of delayed, uneven, or aberrant development of physical abilities during childhood development. The physical abilities affected may be gross or fine motor skills. Developmental dyspraxia may be seen alone or…
Dysthymia

Dysthymia: A type of depression involving long-term, chronic symptoms that are not disabling, but keep a person from functioning at 'full steam' or from feeling good. Dysthymia is a less severe type of depression than…
Dystocia

Difficult or abnormal labor or delivery. From the Greek 'dys' meaning 'difficult, painful, disordered, abnormal' + 'tokos' meaning 'birth.
Dystocia, cervical

See: Cervical dystocia
Dystocia, fetal

Dystocia caused by the fetus due to its size (too big), shape or position in the uterus
Dystocia, placental

See: Placental dystocia
Dystocia, shoulder

See: Shoulder dystocia
Dystonia

Dystonia: Involuntary movements and prolonged muscle contraction, resulting in twisting body motions, tremor, and abnormal posture. These movements may involve the entire body, or only an isolated area. Symptoms may…
Dystonia musculorum deformans (DMD)

Also called torsion dystonia, this is a fortunately rare, generalized dystonia (a state of abnormal -- either excessive of inadequate -- muscle tone) that can be inherited, usually begins in childhood, and becomes…
Dystonia, cranial

A term used to describe dystonia that affects the muscles of the head, face, and neck. Oromandibular dystonia affects the muscles of the jaw, lips, and tongue. The jaw may be pulled either open or shut, and speech and…
Dystonia, dopa-responsive (DRD)

Dystonia, dopa-responsive (DRD): A condition that typically begins in childhood or adolescence with progressive difficulty in walking and, in some cases, spasticity and can be successfully treated with drugs. Segawa…
Dystonia, focal, due to blepharospasm

See: Focal dystonia due to blepharospasm
Dystonia, focal, due to torticollis

See: Focal dystonia due to torticollis
Dystonia, idiopathic torsion

A form of dystonia known as early-onset torsion dystonia (also called generalized torsion dystonia) begins in childhood around the age of 12. Symptoms typically start in one part of the body, usually in an arm or leg…
Dystonia, laryngeal

See: Spasmodic dysphonia
Dystonia, oromandibular

Oromandibular dystonia affects the muscles of the jaw, lips, and tongue. The jaw may be pulled either open or shut, and speech and swallowing can be difficult
Dystonia, Segawa

Dystonia, Segawa: An important variant form of dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD). DRD typically begins in childhood or adolescence with progressive difficulty in walking and, in some cases, with spasticity. DRD, by…
Dystonia, torsion

A form of dystonia known as early-onset torsion dystonia (also called idiopathic or generalized torsion dystonia) begins in childhood around the age of 12. Symptoms typically start in one part of the body, usually in an…
Dystonia, writer's cramp

A dystonia that affects the muscles of the hand and sometimes the forearm and only occurs during handwriting. Similar focal dystonias have also been called typist's cramp, pianist's cramp, musician's cramp, and golfer's…
Dystrophia brevicollis congenita

See: Klippel-Feil sequence
Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

A blistering skin condition inherited in both autosomal dominant and recessive manners and in which the filaments that anchor the epidermis to the underlying dermis are either absent or do not function. This is due to…
Dystrophica myotonia

. See: Myotonic dystrophy
Dystrophica myotonia 2

See: Myotonic dystrophy type 2
Dystrophy, autoimmune polyendocrinopathy

Idiasis-ectodermal (APECED): A genetic autoimmune disease with an extraordinary array of clinical features but characterized most often by at least 2 of the following 3 findings: hypoparathyroidism -- underfunction of…
Dystrophy, cone

A disease of the cones, the specialized light-sensitive cells that act as photoreceptors in the retina of the eye, providing sharp central vision and color vision. The cone dystrophies are a form of genetic macular…
Dystrophy, corneal

See: Corneal dystrophy
Dystrophy, lattice

See: Lattice dystrophy
Dystrophy, muscular

One of a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal or voluntary muscles which control movement. The muscles of the heart and some other involuntary muscles are also…
Dystrophy, myotonic

An inherited disease in which the muscles contract but have decreasing power to relax -- this phenomenon is termed myotonia (irritability and prolonged contraction of muscles). The disease also produces leads to a…