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

Hepatitis C PCR

See: HCV PCR
Hepatitis C virus

A single-stranded RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family that causes hepatitis C. Abbreviated HCV. The HCV genome contains some 10,000 nucleotides and encodes a single polyprotein of 3,000 amino acids. HCV was discovered…
Hepatitis D

Liver inflammation due to the hepatitis D virus (HDV), which only causes disease in patients who already have the hepatitis B virus. Transmission is via infected blood, needles, or sexual contact with an infected…
Hepatitis D, E, F, and G

Lesser known (than hepatitis A, B, and C), the most significant of these seems to be type D, or the delta agent, which only causes disease in the presence of the hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis E

A form of liver disease characterized by inflammation of the liver due to infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Usually a mild disease, hepatitis E but can in rare cases prove fatal, particularly in pregnant…
Hepatitis E virus

The agent responsible for hepatitis E. Abbreviated HEV. For more information, see: Hepatitis E
Hepatitis F

It was formerly believed that a virus isolated from rare blood samples was able to cause hepatitis, and this virus was designated hepatitis F virus. Further investigation has failed to confirm the existence of this…
Hepatitis G

A virus first identified in 1995 that is genetically related to the hepatitis C virus but which does not cause hepatitis and, in fact, is not known to be responsible for any disease. Infection with the virus seems to be…
Hepatitis, infectious

See Hepatitis A
Hepatitis, non-A, non-B

The old name for hepatitis C when the causative virus had not been identified but it was known not to be hepatitis A or B
Hepatitis, toxic

Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) caused by an industrial chemical such as carbon tetrachloride or phosphorus
Hepatitis, viral

Liver inflammation caused by viruses. Specific hepatitis viruses have been labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. While other viruses, such as the mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr) virus and cytomegalovirus, can also cause…
Hepato-

Prefix or combining form used before a consonant to refer to the liver. From the Greek hepar, liver
Hepatobiliary

Having to do with the liver plus the gallbladder, bile ducts, or bile. For example, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can be applied to the hepatobiliary system. Hepatobiliary makes sense since 'hepato-' refers to the…
Hepatoblastoma

A malignant tumor of the liver. Hepatoblastoma occurs almost exclusively in young children, more commonly in boys than in girls. The diagnosis of hepatoblastoma is usually made after abdominal swelling (from liver…
Hepatocarcinoma

Carcinoma (a form of cancer) that originates in liver cells. Hepatocarcinoma is better known today as hepatocellular carcinoma. See: Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma

A tumor in which the cancer starts during adulthood in cells in the liver. Also called adult primary liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is different from cancer that has metastasized (spread) from another place in the…
Hepatology

The field of liver disease. The liver is the body's largest organ and hepatology is a large field. It includes, but is not limited to, the study of acute and chronic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, genetic and…
Hepatoma

Cancer originating in the liver, in liver cells. More often called hepatocarcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma. From hepat-, the liver + -oma, tumor = a liver tumor
Hepatomegaly

An enlarged liver. 'Hepato-' comes from the Greek 'hepatikos' (of the liver) + 'megaly' from the Greek 'megas' (big or great) = bigness of the liver
Hepatosplenomegaly

Enlargement of the liver and spleen. The word 'hepatosplenomegaly' is compounded from Greek roots: 'hepato-' from 'hepatikos' (of the liver) + 'spleno' from 'splen' (the spleen) + 'megaly' from 'megas' (big or great) =…
Hepatotoxic

Injurious to the liver. For example, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be hepatotoxic.
Heptad repeat

A type of tandem repeat sequence in which a group of seven aminoacids occurs many times in a protein sequence. Heptad repeats are characteristic of certain proteins such as the intermediate filament proteins
HER1

See: EGFR
HER2

Abbreviation for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. HER2 is expressed by, and involved in the growth of, some cancer cells. For example, a minority of breast cancers express HER2 protein. Also called c-erbB-2.
Hera

In Greek mythology, a protector of women, who with her daughter Eileithyia was often called upon during childbirth
Herbal

1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.2. A noun, usually reflecting the botanical or medicinal aspects of herbs; also a book which catalogs and illustrates herbs.The word 'herbal' was pronounced with…
Herbal remedy

A medication prepared from plants, including most of the world's traditional remedies for disease. Most people think of herbal remedies as products sold over the counter as 'supplements', such as saw palmetto extract or…
Herbalism

The practice of making or prescribing herbal remedies for medical conditions. Practitioners of herbalism may be licensed MDs, naturopaths, or osteopaths. They may also be unlicensed. Interested consumers should seek out…
Herbalist

One versed in herbal lore and, in regard to therapy, an herb doctor.
Herbicidal

Capable of controlling or destroying plants, weeds, or grasses
Herbicide

A chemical pesticide designed to control or destroy plants, weeds, or grasses. Herbicides tend to have wide-ranging effects on non-target species (other than those the pesticide is meant to control or kill)
Herbicide chemical 2,4-DCP

A poisonous chemical used to produce a herbicide. 2,4-DCP (short for 2,4-dichlorophenol) is employed in the manufacture of the herbicide 2,4-D (which is short for 2,4-dichloropheoxyacetic acid). 2,4-DCP is so highly…
Hereditary ALS

See: Familial ALS
Hereditary amyloidosis

Amyloidosis: A familial (inherited) disorder in which protein deposits (amyloid) accumulate in one or more organ systems in the body. Hereditary amyloidosis is a relatively uncommon cause of amyloidosis. The more common…
Hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

See: Familial ALS
Hereditary angioedema

A genetic form of angioedema. (Angioedema is also referred to as Quinke's disease.) Persons with it are born lacking an inhibitor protein (called C1 esterase inhibitor) that normally prevents activation of a cascade of…
Hereditary angioneurotic edema

Edema: A genetic form of angioedema. (Angioedema is also referred to as Quinke's disease.) Persons with it are born lacking an inhibitor protein (called C1 esterase inhibitor) that normally prevents activation of a…
Hereditary arthro-ophthalmopathy

See: Stickler syndrome
Hereditary arthroophthalmopathy

See: Stickler syndrome
Hereditary atransferrinemia

A genetic disorder in which there is absence of transferrin, a plasma protein that transports iron through the blood. Atransferrinemia is characterized by anemia and hemosiderosis (iron deposition) in the heart and…
Hereditary essential tremor

See: Essential tremor
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Kidney cancer due to a gene than can be transmitted from parent to child. The vast majority of kidney cancer cases are not hereditary, but a small proportion of renal cell cancers are caused by hereditary syndromes…
Hereditary kidney cancer

Kidney cancer due to a gene than can be transmitted from parent to child. The vast majority of kidney cancer cases are not hereditary, but a small proportion of renal cell cancers are caused by hereditary syndromes…
Hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome

(HMPS) A cancer family syndrome characterized by the development of a variety of different types of polyps in the colon, including atypical juvenile polyps and adenomas of the colon, and by the development of colorectal…
Hereditary multi-infarct dementia

See CADASIL
Hereditary mutation

Mutation: A heritable change in the DNA of a gene or chromosome in a cell destined to become an egg or a sperm or the zygote (the conceptus) at the single-cell stage. When transmitted to a child, an hereditary mutation…
Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer

(HNPCC) An hereditary cancer syndrome which carries a very high risk of colon cancer and an above-normal risk of other cancers (uterus, ovary, stomach, small intestine, biliary system, urinary tract, brain, and skin)…
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer

See: Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer
Hereditary progressive arthro-ophthalmopathy

See: Stickler syndrome