Medical terms - Letter F (page 8) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Fibroids

Fibroids are common, benign tumors of smooth muscle in the uterus (womb). Uterine fibroids are the most common reason for performing a hysterectomy. Fibroids do not produce symptoms in all women, but may lead to…
Fibroma

A mass composed of fibrous tissue or connective tissue. Also called a fibroid tumor or fibroid
Fibroma, cemento-ossifying

Fibroma, cemento-ossifying: A hard fibrous lesion that continues to grow, sometimes to very large size, unless treated, most frequently seen in the jaw or mouth, sometimes in connection with a fracture or another type…
Fibroma, desmoplastic

A rare type of primary bone tumor characteristically composed of well-differentiated cells that produce collagen. Desmoplastic fibromas are discovered most often in the first three decades of life, in the mandible (the…
Fibroma, nonossifying

A growing lesion with a fibroma structure. Treatment is by surgery
Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia: A syndrome characterized by chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. Fibromyalgia does not cause body damage or deformity. However, undue…
Fibronectin, fetal

See: Fetal fibronectin
Fibrosarcoma

A malignant tumor that begins in fibrous connective tissue at the ends of the arm or leg bones and may spread to surrounding soft tissue. Fibrosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma found in children under one…
Fibrosis, cystic

Fibrosis, cystic (CF): One of the most common grave genetic (inherited) diseases, CF affects the exocrine glands and is characterized by the production of abnormal secretions, leading to mucous build-up. This…
Fibrosis, premacular

See: Macular pucker
Fibrosis, pulmonary

See: Pulmonary fibrosis
Fibrosis, radiation

Scarring of the lungs from radiation. Radiation fibrosis is a sequel of radiation pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs due to radiation), as from radiation therapy. Radiation pneumonitis typically occurs after…
Fibrositis

Also known as fibromyalgia. See: Fibromyalgia
Fibrous dysplasia, monostotic

Excessive growth of hard fibrous tissue that replaces normal bone tissue in a single bone. Symptoms may include pain and fracture of the bone. Most cases are diagnosed in adolescence and young adulthood and remain…
Fibrous dysplasia, polyostotic

The lateral (outside) and smaller of the two long bones in the lower leg between the knee and ankle. (The other bone in the lower leg is the tibia.) The fibula is not weight bearing. It articulates (comes together to…
Fibula

The lateral (outside) and smaller of the two long bones in the lower leg between the knee and ankle. (The other bone in the lower leg is the tibia.) The fibula is not weight bearing. It articulates (comes together to…
Fibulin 3

A protein that belongs to a family of extracellular proteins expressed in the basement membranes of blood vessels. The gene that encodes fibulin 3 is FBLN3 (or EFEMP1). FBLN3 is located on chromosome 2 in band 2p16. A…
Fibulin 5

A protein that belongs to a family of extracellular proteins expressed in the basement membranes of blood vessels. Fibulin 5 may be essential for the polymerization of elastin. Missense mutations in FBLN5, the gene that…
Field, visual

The entire area that can be seen when the eye is directed forward, including that which is seen with peripheral vision. The visual field can be tested to measure the extent and distribution of the field of vision. The…
Fievre boutonneuse

African tick typhus, one of the tick-borne rickettsial diseases of the eastern hemisphere, similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but less severe, with fever, a small ulcer (tache noire) at the site of the tick bite…
Fifth cranial nerve

The fifth cranial nerve is the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is quite complex. It functions both as the chief nerve of sensation for the face and the motor nerve controlling the muscles of mastication…
Fifth disease

See Lymphatic filariasis.
Filariasis

See Lymphatic filariasis
Filariasis, lymphatic

See Lymphatic filariasis
Filgrastim

Filgrastim: See: G-CSF.
Filial

1. In genetics, the first generation that results from the crossing of two parental lines, as the filial generation. 2. In general, pertaining to the relationship of children, both sons and daughters, to their parents…
Filler

An inactive substance used to make a product bigger or easier to handle. For example, fillers are often used to make pills or capsules because the amount of active drug is too small to be handled conveniently
Film

Slang shortening of X-ray film, an X-ray, a radiograph
Film, AP

An X-ray picture in which the beams pass from front-to-back (anteroposterior). As opposed to a PA (posteroanterior) film in which the rays pass through the body from back-to-front
Film, lateral

An X-ray picture taken from the side
Film, PA

An X-ray picture in which the beams pass from back-to-front (posteroanterior). As opposed to an AP (anteroposterior) film in which the rays pass through the body from front-to-back
Film, tear

See: Tear film
Filoviridae

A family of viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever. Filoviruses have single- stranded RNA as their genetic material. Ebola virus and the Marburg virus are both filoviruses.
Filovirus

A family of viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever. Filoviruses have single- stranded RNA as their genetic material. Ebola virus and the Marburg virus are both filoviruses.
Fine needle aspiration

The use of a thin needle to withdraw material from the body. For example, this method is commonly used to determine whether a nodule in the thyroid gland is benign or malignant (fine needle aspiration biopsy of the…
Finger prick

A procedure in which a finger is pricked with a lancet to obtain a small quantity of capillary blood for testing. Also called a finger stick
Finger stick

A procedure in which a finger is pricked with a lancet to obtain a small quantity of capillary blood for testing. Also called a finger prick
Fingernail

A fingernail is produced by living skin cells in the finger. A fingernail consists of several parts including the nail plate (the visible part of the nail), the nail bed (the skin beneath the nail plate), the cuticle…
Fingerprint

1. The characteristic dermal ridges on the finger. This is the original meaning of fingerprint. 2. The characteristic pattern of the peptide fragments of a protein that have been subjected to electrophoresis and, at a…
Fingers, six

The presence of an extra finger, a very common congenital malformation (birth defect). This condition is called hexadactyly. The word hexadactyly literally means six digits. In medical usage, hexadactyly does not…
Finished DNA sequence

A DNA sequence in which the bases are identified to an accuracy of no more than 1 error in 10,000 and are placed in the right order and orientation along a chromosome with almost no gaps. A finished sequence is as…
Fire ant sting

A scourge, these red or yellow ants of small-to-medium size, originally from South America, have a severe sting that burns like fire. Their sting-like that of bees, yellow jackets, hornets and wasps -- can trigger…
Fire ants

Originally from S. America. Among the worst insect pests ever to invade the US. Red or yellowish ants of small-to-medium size with a severe sting that burns like fire. They normally feed on small insects but, with…
Fire gilding

A perilous process for gold-plating in which an amalgam of mercury and gold is applied to an object and then exposed to heat to vaporize the mercury and leave the gold behind in a thin layer. Fire gilding also is…
Fire supplies kit

The intensely painful burning sensation in the limbs and extremities caused by ergot, the consequence of a fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that contaminates rye and wheat. The fungus produces substances (alkaloids) termed…
Fire, St. Anthony's

The intensely painful burning sensation in the limbs and extremities caused by ergot, the consequence of a fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that contaminates rye and wheat. The fungus produces substances (alkaloids) termed…
Fireworks injury

An injury from a device for producing a striking display by the combustion of explosive or flammable compositions. Since fireworks are often used around holidays, fireworks injuries tend to cluster about holidays and…
First American medical journal

The Medical Repository, founded in 1797 and published quarterly until 1824. The Medical Repository was the first serious attempt in the US to present the relation between science and practice in a serial format that…
First American medical school

King's College Medical School founded in New York in 1767. Its mission was fairly lofty -- to 'enlarge the Mind, improve the Understanding, polish the whole Man, and qualify them to support the brightest Character in…
First and second branchial arch syndrome

The olfactory nerve, the nerve that permits the sense of smell. See: Olfactory nerve.