Medical terms - Letter E (page 5) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome

A type of short stature with striking shortening of the ends of the extremities (arms and legs), polydactyly (extra digits), fusion of bones in the wrist, dystrophy (abnormal growth) of the fingernails, change in the…
EM (electron microscope)

A microscope in which an electron beam replaces light to form the image. EM stands for electron microscope (the device) and for electron microscopy (the technique and field). EM has its pluses (greater magnification and…
Emboli

Something that travels through the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel and blocks it. Examples of emboli are a detached blood clot, a clump of bacteria, and foreign material such as air. Pulmonary emboli are blood…
Embolism

The obstruction of a blood vessel by a foreign substance or a blood clot blocking the vessel. Something travels through the bloodstream, lodges in a vessel and plugs it. Foreign substances that can cause embolism…
Embolism, crossed

See Embolism, paradoxical
Embolism, paradoxical

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…
Embolism, pulmonary

The obstruction of the pulmonary artery or a branch of it leading to the lungs by a blood clot, usually from the leg, or foreign material causing sudden closure of the vessel. (Embolus is from the Greek 'embolos'…
Embolization

A treatment that clogs small blood vessels and blocks the flow of blood, such as to a tumor.
Embolus

Something that travels through the bloodstream, lodges in a blood vessel and blocks it. Examples of emboli are a detached blood clot, a clump of bacteria, and foreign material such as air. A pulmonary embolus is a blood…
Embryo

The organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation from fertilization to, in humans, the beginning of the third month of pregnancy. After that point in time, it is termed a fetus.
Embryonal carcinoma

A malignant germ cell tumor that occurs most often in the testes and accounts for about 40% of testicular tumors. Under the microscope, these tumors may resemble tissues of early embryos. This type of tumor can grow…
Embryonic hemoglobin

Hemoglobin E, the normal embryonic hemoglobin, the main type of hemoglobin found in the human embryo. The E stands for embryonic and also for epsilon, the chain unique to embryonic hemoglobin (which was originally known…
Emergency birth control

See: Emergency contraception
Emergency code

While there is no formal definition for a 'Code,' doctors often use the term as slang to refer to a patient in cardiopulmonary arrest , requiring a team of providers (sometimes called a 'code team') to rush to the…
Emergency contraception

The prevention of pregnancy after unprotected vaginal intercourse. Emergency contraception may use drugs related to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These 'morning-after pill' are similar to birth control…
Emergency department

The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care. Emergency department personnel may also respond to certain…
Emergency medical technician

A person trained in the performance of the procedures required in emergency medical care. You are most likely to find an EMT working with a mobile emergency response team, such as an ambulance or fire and rescue team…
Emergency physician

A physician focused on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the prehospital setting by directing emergency medical technicians and in the emergency…
Emergency postcoital contraception

See: Emergency contraception
Emergency supplies kit

An infectious disease that has newly appeared in a population or that has been known for some time but is rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. Examples of emerging infectious diseases include: Ebola…
Emerging infectious disease

An infectious disease that has newly appeared in a population or that has been known for some time but is rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. Examples of emerging infectious diseases include: > >Ebola…
Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy

See: Muscular dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss
Emesis

Vomiting. An emesis basin is usually kept handy for surgery patients recovering from general anesthesia since nausea and vomiting are common in that situation. From the Greek emein (to vomit), from the Indo-European…
Emetic

Something that causes emesis, that makes you want to vomit. For example, ipecac is an emetic. From the Greek emein (to vomit), from the Indo-European root wem- (to vomit), the source of the words such as wamble (to feel…
Emetophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of vomiting. Sufferers of emetophobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. They usually are especially worried about vomiting in public and…
EMG

Electromyogram
EMG syndrome

The exomphalos-macroglossia-gigantism syndrome. See: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
EMG, surface

Surface EMG
Emia

Suffix meaning blood or referring to the presence of a substance in the blood. As for example, anemia (lack of blood) and hypervolemia (too high a volume of blood). The ending -emia is one of the building blocks derived…
Emotional child abuse

Child abuse: Emotional child abuse is the third most frequently reported form of child abuse (after child neglect and physical child abuse), accounting 17% of all cases of child abuse. It is likely that emotional child…
Emotional eating

Emotional eating: Emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food -- usually 'comfort' or junk foods -- in response to feelings instead of hunger. Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused…
Emphysema

Emphysema: 1) A lung condition featuring an abnormal accumulation of air in the lung's many tiny air sacs, a tissue called alveoli. As air continues to collect in these sacs, they become enlarged, and may break, or be…
Empiric risk

The chance that a disease will occur in a family based upon experience (past history, medical records, etc.) rather than theory
Empirical

Based on experience and observation, rather than systematic logic. Experienced physicians often use empirical reasoning to make diagnoses, based on having seen many cases over the years. Less-experienced physicians are…
Empirical midwife

A midwife who has entered the profession as an apprentice to a practicing midwife rather than attending a formal school program
Employment Retirement Income Security Act

See: ERISA
Empyema

The presence of pus in the pleural space which is between the outer surface of the lung and the chest wall. Empyema is often a complication of pneumonia caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus…
EMSY

A novel protein that connects the familial and sporadic forms of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Some cases of breast and ovarian cancer are familial and strike women in the same family who have a heritable mutation…
EMT

A rash inside the body. An example: the spots in measles (Koplik's spots) inside the mouth that look like a tiny grains of white sand surrounded by a red ring. By contrast, a rash on the outside of the body is called an…
Enanthem

A rash inside the body. An example: the spots in measles (Koplik's spots) inside the mouth that look like a tiny grains of white sand surrounded by a red ring. By contrast, a rash on the outside of the body is called an…
Enate

1. As a noun, a relative on the mother's side. 2. As an adjective, related on the mother's side. As opposed to agnate (someone related on the father's side). From the Latin enatus, the past participle of enasci (to…
Encapsulated

Confined to a specific area; the tumor remains in a compact form
Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis occurs, for example, in 1 in 1,000 cases of measles. It may start (up to 3 weeks) after onset of the measles rash and present with high fever, convulsions, and coma. It usually…
Encephalitis, arboviral

See: Arboviral encephalitis
Encephalitis, eastern equine

See: Eastern equine encephalitis
Encephalitis, flavivirus

See: Flavivirus encephalitis
Encephalitis, LAC

LaCrosse encephalitis, one of the main types of encephalitis caused by an arbovirus in the US. An arbovirus is a virus that is arthropod-borne (carried by a mosquito, tick or another kind of arthropod). The arbovirus…
Encephalitis, LaCrosse

One of the main types of encephalitis caused by an arbovirus in the US. An arbovirus is a virus that is arthropod-borne (carried by a mosquito, tick or another kind of arthropod). The arbovirus infects and inflames the…
Encephalitis, Nipah virus

Brain inflammation (encephalitis) due to the Nipah virus that infects pigs and people. Nipah is the name of the first village the virus struck near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. (The Nipah virus is similar to Hendra virus…
Encephalitis, Rasmussen

A rare progressive neurological disorder that is characterized by intractable seizures and progressive neurologic deterioration. To be more precise, there are frequent and severe seizures (convulsions), progressive loss…