Medical terms - Letter F (page 7) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Fever, quintan

Fever, quintan: Quintan means recurring every 5 days, the characteristic duration of trench fever. Quintan or trench fever is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when…
Fever, relapsing

See: Relapsing fever
Fever, remittent

A type of fever that gradually decreases in intensity over time
Fever, rheumatic

An illness that occurs following a streptococcus infection (such as a 'strep throat') or scarlet fever and predominantly affects children. Symptoms include fever, pain in the joints, nausea, stomach cramps, and…
Fever, Rift Valley

See: Rift Valley fever
Fever, Rocky Mountain spotted (RMSF)

Fever, Rocky Mountain spotted (RMSF): An acute febrile (feverish) disease initially recognized in the Rocky Mountain states, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii transmitted by hard-shelled (ixodid) ticks. Occurs only in the…
Fever, scarlet

Also called scarlatina, a disease caused by infection with group A streptococcal bacteria that occurs in a small proportion of people with strep throat. The incubation period between contracting strep and the onset of…
Fever, shin bone

Fever, shin bone: Called shin bone fever because it characteristically causes fever and pain in the legs, this disease is also known as trench fever. It is a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the…
Fever, Southeast Asian hemorrhagic

A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). Known also as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), it starts abruptly…
Fever, splenic

Known also as anthrax, splenic fever is a serious bacterial infection. It is not primarily a human disease but rather an infection of animals. Cattle, sheep, horses, mules, and some wild animals are highly susceptible…
Fever, spotted

Fever, spotted: Also known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. An acute febrile (feverish) disease initially recognized in the Rocky Mountain states, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii transmitted by hard-shelled (ixodid)…
Fever, Thai hemorrhagic

A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). Known also as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), it starts abruptly…
Fever, tick

See: Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Fever, trench

Fever, trench: A disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the fronts in Europe. Trench fever…
Fever, typhoid

See: Typhoid fever
Fever, typhus

See: Typhus
Fever, undulant

An infectious disease due to the bacteria Brucella that characteristically causes rising and falling fevers, sweats, malaise, weakness, anorexia, headache, myalgia (muscle pain) and back pain. The disease is called…
Fever, valley

A disease also called coccidioidomycosis (CM) due to a fungus called Coccidioides immitis. About 40% of people infected with this fungus develop symptoms. Most often they have an influenza-like illness with fever…
Fever, West Nile

Fever, West Nile: A febrile disease caused by the West Nile virus that is transmitted from birds to the common Culex mosquito and then to people. The virus is named after the area it was first found in Uganda. West Nile…
Fever, Wolhynia

Fever, Wolhynia: Also known as trench fever, a disease borne by body lice that was first recognized in the trenches of World War I, when it is estimated to have affected more than a million people in Russia and on the…
Fever, yellow

See: Yellow fever
Feverfew

An herb that has been most commonly used for migraine headaches. Feverfew can cause allergic reactions, especially in persons who are allergic to chamomile, ragweed, or yarrow. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs…
FFI

Fatal familial insomnia
FFN

Fetal fibronectin
FGD1

The faciodigitogenital dysplasia gene. FGD1 normally plays an essential role in embryonic development. Mutations in FGD1 result in faciodigitogenital dysplasia, which is also called the Aarskog-Scott syndrome
FGFR2

A mutation (change) in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene on chromosome 10 causes the best-known type of acrocephalosyndactyly, namely Apert syndrome which is characterized by abnormalities of the…
FGFR3

Abbreviation for fibroblast growth factor receptor 3. Mutations in the FGFR3 gene are known to cause three different syndromes -- hypochondroplasia, achondroplasia, and thanatophoric dysplasia. These syndromes represent…
Fiber

Fiber: The parts of plants that cannot be digested, namely complex carbohydrates. Also known as bulk or roughage. Complex carbohydrates from plants are rich in starch and fiber. Examples of plants that provide complex…
Fiber and bowel disorders

High fiber diets help delay the progression of diverticulosis and, at least, reduce the bouts of diverticulitis. In many cases, it helps reduce the symptoms of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) (also called spastic…
Fiber and cholesterol

Soluble fiber substances are effective in helping reduce the blood cholesterol. This is especially true with oat bran, fruits, psyllium and legumes. High soluble-fiber diets may lower cholesterol and low-density…
Fiber and constipation

Insoluble fiber retains water in the colon, resulting in a softer and larger stool. It is used effectively in treating constipation resulting from poor dietary habits. Bran is particularly rich in insoluble fiber.
Fiber and diabetes

Soluble fibers (oat bran, apples, citrus, pears, peas/beans, psyllium, etc.) slow down the digestion of carbohydrates (sugars), which results in better glucose metabolism. Some patients with the adult-onset diabetes may…
Fiber FISH

A cytogenetic (chromosome) laboratory technique in which FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) is done on chromosomes that have been mechanically stretched. Fiber FISH provides a higher resolution of analysis than…
Fiber, elastic

See: Elastic fiber
Fiber, soluble and insoluble

Fiber: Fiber (the portion of plants that cannot be digested by the human digestive tract) is classified as soluble and insoluble. Oats, beans, dried peas, and legumes are major sources of soluble fiber whereas wheat…
Fibrates for lowering cholesterol

Fibrates are cholesterol-lowering drugs that are primarily effective in lowering triglycerides and, to a lesser extent, in increasing HDL-cholesterol levels. Gemfibrozil (brand name: LOPID), the fibrate most widely used…
Fibril

The diminutive of fiber. A small fiber, a fine thread
Fibrillation

In matters of the heart (cardiology), fibrillation is incoordinate twitching of the heart muscle fibers. The difference between fibrillation and flutter is that fibrillation is not well organized while flutter is. For…
Fibrillation, atrial

An abnormal irregular heart rhythm whereby electrical signals are generated chaotically throughout the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Although many persons with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms, the most…
Fibrillation, auricular

Essentially the same as atrial fibrillation
Fibrillation, ventricular

An abnormal irregular heart rhythm whereby there are very rapid uncoordinated fluttering contractions of the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. Ventricular fibrillation disrupts the synchrony between the…
Fibrillin 1

See: FBN1
Fibrin

The protein formed during normal blood clotting that is the essence of the clot.
Fibrinogen

The protein from which is generated fibrin, the essence of a normal blood clot
Fibroadenoma

A benign growth in the breast that is solid, firm, smooth and usually painless or only slightly tender. Fibroadenomas are very common. A woman may have several. They sometimes grow quickly in teenagers or during…
Fibroblast

A cell ubiquitous in connective tissue that makes and secretes collagen
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2

A rare but dramatic genetic disorder that turns muscles, tendons and ligaments into bone, threatening to transform the victim into "a statue of stone." FOP is characterized by physical handicap due to bone forming in…
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP)

A rare but dramatic genetic disorder that turns muscles, tendons and ligaments into bone, threatening to transform the victim into 'a statue of stone.' FOP is characterized by physical handicap due to bone forming in…
Fibrofolliculomas, trichodiscomas and acrochordons

See: Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome
Fibroid

A benign tumor of the uterus and the single most common indication for hysterectomy. Fibroids can be present and be inapparent. However, they are clinically apparent in up to 25% of women and cause significant…