Medical terms - Letter G (page 11) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Group therapy

1) A type of psychiatric care in which several patients meet with one or more therapists at the same time. The patients form a support group for each other as well as receiving expert care and advice. The group therapy…
Growing pains

Mysterious pains in growing children, usually in the legs. These pains are similar to what the weekend gardener suffers from on Monday-an overuse type of problem. If in playing, children exceed their regular threshold…
Growth and differentiation factor 8

Also called myostatin. See: Myostatin
Growth differentiation factor 8

Also called myostatin. See: Myostatin
Growth hormone

A hormone made in the pituitary gland that stimulates the release of another hormone called somatomedin by the liver, thereby causing growth. Also known as somatotropin. Growth hormone is produced by the anterior…
Growth in height

See: Normal growth
Growth, normal

See: Normal growth
GSS

Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker. See: Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome
GSTO1

Glutathione S-transferase omega-1
Gtt.

Abbreviation meaning drops (from the Latin 'guttae', drops). One of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Latin terms that have traditionally been used in prescriptions
Gua sha

See: Gua-sha
Gua-sha

A method in tradition Chinese medicine in which the skin on the back, limbs, and other parts of the body is lubricated and then pressured and scraped with a rounded object (a ceramic spoon, the edge of a rice bowl, or…
Guanine

One of the four bases in DNA that make up the letters ATGC. Guanine is the 'G'. The others are adenine, cytosine, and thymine. Guanine always pairs with cytosine to form the base pair G-C (guanine-cytosine) in the DNA…
Guarding, abdominal

Involuntary tensing of the abdominal wall muscles to guard inflamed organs within the abdomen from the pain of pressure. This is detected when the abdomen wall is pressed. Guarding is a characteristic finding in the…
Guasha

See: Gua-sha
Guided imagery

An alternative medicine technique in which patients use their imagination to visualize improved health, or to 'attack' a disease, such as a tumor. Some studies indicate that the positive thinking can have an effect on…
Guillain-Barre syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome: A disorder characterized by progressive symmetrical paralysis and loss of reflexes, usually beginning in the legs. The paralysis characteristically involves more than one limb (most commonly the…
Guillain-Barre syndrome

See: Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Guillotine

A machine used during (and after) the French Revolution for beheading people condemned to death, by means of a heavy sharp blade that slid down within vertical guides. By extension, 'guillotine' refers to any shearing…
Guinea pig

1.Cavia porcellus, also known as Cavia cobaya, a plump rodent native to South America brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors. Often kept as pets. And once very widely used aa a laboratory animal for research…
Guinea worm disease

A parasitic disease caused by infection with the guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis), the largest parasite known to plague people. Guinea worm disease is also called Dracunculiasis and end-of-the-road disease because…
Gulf War syndrome

A highly controversial syndrome involving a constellation of illnesses experienced by 5,000 to 80,000 American veterans who were in the Gulf War. (The Veterans Administration considers those who served between August 2…
Gullet

The esophagus. The words esophagus and gullet differ in origin. Esophagus comes from the Greek whereas gullet is a diminutive of the Latin gula meaning throat. The idea was that the esophagus, being narrower than the…
Gum disease

Gum disease: Inflammation of the soft tissue (gingiva) and abnormal loss of bone that surrounds the teeth and holds them in place. Gum disease is caused by toxins secreted by bacteria in 'plaque' that accumulate over…
Gun stock deformity

See: Cubitus varus
Gunnar B. Stickler

See: Stickler, Gunnar B.
Gustatolacrimal reflex

See: Crocodile tears syndrome
Gustatory sweating

Sweating on the forehead, face, scalp, and neck occurring soon after ingesting food. Some gustatory sweating is normal after eating hot, spicy foods. Otherwise, gustatory sweating is most commonly a result of damage to…
Gustavson syndrome

A disorder first reported in 1999 by Gustavson and colleagues as a new X-linked mental retardation syndrome. In the family they studied there were 7 male children in 2 generations with the syndrome. The affected males…
Guthrie test

A simple screening blood test for phenylketonuria (PKU). The Guthrie test was the original impetus to newborn metabolic screening. In 1958-59 Dr. Robert Guthrie (1916-95) was asked if he might to develop a simple method…
Guttate psoriasis

A type of psoriasis characterized by red, scaly patches of inflamed skin on all parts of the body. It is associated with a lung infection in many cases
GVHD

Graft-versus-host disease
Gy

Abbreviation for gray
Gymnophobia

An abnormal and persistent fear of nudity. Sufferers of this phobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. They may worry about seeing others naked or being seen naked, or both…
GYN

Short for gynecology and gynecologist. A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs. The word 'gynecology' comes from the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman + logia…
Gyn-

Combining form pertaining to women. From the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman
Gyne-

Combining form pertaining to women. From the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman
Gyneco-

Combining form pertaining to women, as in gynecoid. From the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman
Gynecoid

Like a woman, womanly, female. The word gynecoid comes from the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman. Gyneco-, gyno-, gyn-, and gyne- are combining forms meaning woman. For example: > >Gynecoid obesity: Fat distribution…
Gynecoid obesity

A fat distribution generally characteristic of that of a woman, around the hips, etc. Gynecoid means like a woman, womanly, female. The word gynecoid comes from the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman. Gyneco-, gyno-…
Gynecoid pelvis

The gynecoid pelvis is one that is generally characteristic of a woman in its bone structure and therefore its shape. Gynecoid means like a woman, womanly, female. The gynecoid pelvis is more delicate, wider and not as…
Gynecologic oncologist

Oncologist: A physician who specializes in cancers of the female reproductive organs. The training to become a gynecologic oncologist is first that of an obstetrician/gynecologist, followed by 2-4 years of structured…
Gynecologist

A doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs. The word 'gynecologist' comes from the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman + logia meaning study, so a gynecologist is literally a student…
Gynecology

The branch of medicine particularly concerned with the health of the female organs of reproduction and diseases thereof. The word 'gynecology' comes from the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman + logia meaning study, so…
Gynecomastia

Excessive development of the male breasts. Temporary enlargement of the breasts is not unusual or abnormal in boys during adolescence or during recovery from malnutrition. Gynecomastia may be abnormal as, for example…
Gynephobia

An abnormal, irrational and persistent fear of women. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize they face no threat. 'Gynephobia' is derived from the Greek 'gyne' (woman) and 'phobos' (fear). Alternate…
Gyno-

Combining form pertaining to women. From the Greek gyno, gynaikos meaning woman
Gyri

The plural of gyrus
Gyrus

A convolution on the surface of a cerebral hemisphere caused by the infolding of the cerebral cortex. The gyri are bounded by crevices in the cortex called sulci. Many gyri are constant enough in their occurrence as…
Gyrus lingualis

See: Lingual gyrus