Medical terms - Letter O (page 3) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Oliva

The olive, a structure in the brain
Olivae

The olives, twin structures in the brain
Olivary

Pertaining to the olive, a structure in the brain
Olive

In neuroanatomy, a rounded oval prominence on the surface of the medulla oblongata in the brain. There are two olives, corresponding to the two olivary bodies, one on each side of the medulla oblongata. Nerve fibers in…
Olive oil diet

See: Mediterranean diet
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

See: Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr.
Olivo-

Pertaining to the olive, a structure in the brain
Olivopontocerebellar

Pertaining to three particular parts of the brain -- namely, the oliva, the pons, and the cortex of the cerebellum. The oliva (olive) is a rounded prominence on the surface of the medulla oblongata in the brain. The…
Olivopontocerebellar atrophy

>OPCA I (or SPA 1) -- Autosomal dominant. Onset of symptoms usually in the third or fourth decade of life, most often around age 30. Due to expansion of a CAG trinucleotide sequence in the ataxin-1 gene (ATX1) on…
Ollier disease

A condition characterized by multiple enchondromas -- benign masses of cartilage growing within bones. An enchondroma can deform and shorten a limb and predispose to a fracture at the site. The disorder can be caused by…
Oma

Suffix meaning a swelling or tumor. Many words in medicine end in -oma. Some examples include adenoma, atheroma, carcinoma, condyloma, fibroma, glaucoma, glioma, granuloma, hemangioma, hematoma, lipoma, lymphoma…
Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids: A class of fatty acids found in fish oils, especially from salmon and other cold-water fish, that acts to lower the levels of cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoproteins) in the blood. (LDL…
Omentectomy

Surgery to remove part or all of the omentum, a fold of the peritoneum (the thin tissue lining the abdomen) that surrounds the stomach and other organs in the abdomen
Omentum

A sheet of fat that is covered by peritoneum. The greater omentum is attached to the bottom edge of the stomach, and hangs down in front of the intestines. Its other edge is attached to the transverse colon. The lesser…
Ommaya reservoir

A device implanted under the scalp that is used to deliver anticancer drugs to the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The device is named for the U.S. neurosurgeon Ayub Ommaya
Omniscience

All knowledge. Infinite awareness, understanding, and insight. Someone who (supposedly) possesses omniscience is omniscient. From the Latin 'omni-' (all) + 'scire' (to know) = to know all. Medical students and nursing…
Omphalo-

A birth defect in which part of the intestine, covered only by a thin transparent membrane, protrudes outside the abdomen at the umbilicus. The underlying error is a failure during embryonic development for a section of…
Omphalocele

A birth defect in which part of the intestine, covered only by a thin transparent membrane, protrudes outside the abdomen at the umbilicus. The underlying error is a failure during embryonic development for a section of…
Omphalos

The omphalos (or omphalus) is also called the umbilicus or navel. 'Omphalos' is the Greek word for the navel. The decorative boss protruding from the center of a Greek warrior's shield was also called the omphalos, as…
OMS

Abbreviation for the Organisation Mondiale de la Sante, the French name for the World Health Organization (WHO). See: World Health Organization
OMS (World Health Organization)

In medicine, the person who is ready to respond, the one on duty. As in "Who is the doctor on call this weekend?" or "This is the on call schedule."
On call

In medicine, the person who is ready to respond, the one on duty. As in 'Who is the doctor on call this weekend?' or 'This is the on call schedule.
Onchocerciasis

River blindness, a disease caused by a parasitic worm (Onchocerca volvulus) which is transmitted to persons by biting blackflies (buffalo gnats) that breed in fast-flowing rivers. The adult worms can live for up to 15…
Oncogene

1. A gene that played a normal role in the cell as a proto-oncogene and that has been altered by mutation and now may contribute to the growth of a tumor. Some of the more important oncogenes include: > >ras (a signal…
Oncogene ErbB

See: EGFR
Oncologist

A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A clinical oncologist is usually trained in one of the three primary disciplines of oncology: > >Medical oncology -- the treatment of cancer with…
Oncology

The field of medicine devoted to cancer. In clinical oncology, there are three primary disciplines: > >Medical oncology -- the treatment of cancer with medicine, including chemotherapy. > >Surgical oncology -- the…
Ondine's curse

Failure from birth of central nervous system control over breathing while asleep. There are usually no breathing problems while awake. The involuntary (autonomic) control of respiration is impaired, but the voluntary…
Oneiric

Relating to dreams; dream-like. From the Greek 'oneiros' (dream). See oneirophrenia
Oneirophrenia

An hallucinatory (dream-like) state caused by such conditions as prolonged deprivation of sleep, sensory isolation, or drugs. See oneiric
Oneself, fear of

An irrational fear of oneself, an intense self-fear that is groundless. Fear of oneself is termed 'autophobia' which comes from two Greek words: 'autos' (self) and 'phobos' (fear) = literally, self-fear, fear of…
Onset

In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for example, the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. There is always an onset to a disease but never to the return to good health. The default…
Onycho- (prefix)

Pertaining to the nails. Examples of medical terms involving 'onycho-' include onychodystrophy (abnormal growth and development of the nails), onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails), onychogryposis (abnormally…
Onychocryptosis

The medical term for what is better known as an ingrown toenail. From onycho-, nail + crypto-, hidden or buried + -sis, condition. See: Ingrown toenail
Onychodystrophy

Malformation of the nails
Onychogryposis

Abnormally thick curved fingernails or toenails. From the Greek onyx, nail + gryposis, curvature
Onycholysis

Loosening of the nail from the nail bed, usually starting at the border of the nail. The nail tends to turn whitish or yellowish, reflecting the presence of air under it. The treatment is to trim the nail short, do not…
Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis: Fungal infection of the nails. Fungal infections can involve either the toenails or the fingernails. Nail fungal infection is usually caused by the dermatophyte fungi Trichophyton rubrum which can invade…
Onychomycosis, proximal white subungual

The rarest form of fungus infection of the finger or toenail. (Fungus infection of the finger or toenail is also called onychomycosis.) The infection begins in the nail fold (the portion of the nail opposite the tip of…
Onychoosteodysplasia

This is the nail-patella syndrome, an hereditary condition characterized by abnormally formed (dysplastic) or absent nails and by absent or underdeveloped (hypoplastic) kneecaps (patellae). Other features of the…
Oocyte

A female germ cell in the process of development. The oocyte is produced in the ovary by an ancestral cell called an oogonium and gives rise to the ovum (the egg) which can be fertilized
Oogenesis

The process of egg formation. The second 'o' in oogenesis is pronounced separately from the first: o·o·gen·e·sis. The word was created from the prefix 'oo-' (Greek oon, egg) + 'genesis' (the coming into being of…
Oogonium

A female ancestral germ cell that divides several times to give rise to an oocyte that, in turn, develops into an ovum (an egg). The second 'o' in oogonium is pronounced separately from the first: o·o·gon·i·um. The word…
Oophorectomy

The removal of one or both ovaries by surgery. Also known as ovariectomy.
Oophoritis

Inflammation of the ovary or egg sac.
OPCA

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy
Open charting

The practice of making medical charts available to the patient
Open cholecystectomy

Cholecystectomy: Surgery in which the abdomen is opened to permit cholecystectomy -- removal of the gallbladder. This operation has been employed for over 100 years and is a safe and effective method for treating…
Open fracture

A fracture in which the bone is sticking through the skin. Also called a compound fracture. NTER> Note that 'comminuted fracture' in which the bone is fragmented is distinguished from a 'compound fracture.'
Open heart surgery

Surgery in which the chest is opened and surgery is performed on the heart. The term 'open' refers to the chest, not to the heart itself. The heart may or may not be opened depending on the particular type of surgery