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

Otoplasty

Otoplasty: Plastic surgery to reshape the outer ear.
Otosclerosis

The abnormal formation of new bone in the middle ear that gradually immobilizes the stapes (stirrup bone) and prevents it from vibrating in response to sound, causing progressive loss of hearing. Otosclerosis usually…
Otoscope

Instrument for looking in the ear. Today, otoscopic or ophthalmoscopic heads can usually be attached to the base (which supplies the electrical power) to look at the ears or eyes.
Ounce

A measure of weight equal to 1/16th of a pound or, metrically, 28.35 grams. The abbreviation for ounce is oz. (An ounce of prevention is reputedly worth a pound of cure.
Outer ear

There are three sections of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear looks complicated but it is functionally the simplest part of the ear. It consists of the pinna or auricle (the…
Outlet

The exit or opening. The means by which something escapes.
Outlet, gastric

See: Gastric outlet
Outpatient

A patient who is not an inpatient (not hospitalized) but instead is cared for elsewhere -- as in a doctor's office, clinic, or day surgery center. The term outpatient dates back at least to 1715. Outpatient care today…
Output, cardiac

The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute. The amount of blood put out by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction is called the stroke volume. The stroke volume and the heart rate determine the…
Ova

Plural form of ovum
Ovarian

Of or pertaining to the ovary
Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer: Cancer of the ovary, the egg sac of females. The anatomic location of the ovaries: NTER> Most ovarian growths (tumors) in women under age 30 are benign, fluid- filled cysts. These cysts are not…
Ovarian cancer gene BRCA2

Ovarian cancer gene BRCA2: Ovarian cancer due to mutation of the BRCA2 gene. Mutation of this gene also predisposes to breast cancer and early-onset prostate cancer. See: BRCA2
Ovarian cancer test CA 125

See: CA 125
Ovarian cyst

A fluid-filled sac in the ovary. The most common type of ovarian cyst is called a follicular cyst. It results from the growth of a follicle. A follicle is the fluid-filled cyst that contains an egg. In some cycles, this…
Ovarian pregnancy

An abnormal pregnancy that takes place within the ovary itself due to the development of a fertilized ovum still lodged within an ovarian follicle. This event occurs following anovular menstruation (menstruation without…
Ovarian remnant syndrome

Pelvic pain due to leftover ovarian tissue after removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Ovarian remnant syndrome can cause cyclic pain and pressure on the vagina, rectum, bladder, and ureter. The ovarian remnants…
Ovarian teratoma

Also called a dermoid cyst of the ovary, this is a bizarre tumor, usually benign, in the ovary that typically contains a diversity of tissues including hair, teeth, bone, thyroid, etc. A dermoid cyst develops from a…
Ovariectomy

The removal of one or both ovaries. Also called an oophorectomy
Ovary

The female gonad, the ovary is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs…
Ovary cyst, follicular

A fluid-filled sac in the ovary, the most common type of ovarian cyst. It results from the growth of a follicle. A follicle is the fluid-filled cyst that contains an egg. In some cycles, this follicle grows larger that…
Ovary, dermoid cyst of the

A bizarre tumor, usually benign, in the ovary that typically contains a diversity of tissues including hair, teeth, bone, thyroid, etc. A dermoid cyst develops from a totipotential germ cell (a primary oocyte) that is…
Ovary, polycystic

See: Polycystic ovary syndrome
Over-the-counter (OTC) drug

A drug for which a prescription is not needed
Overactive bladder

Overactive bladder: A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency, an immediate unstoppable need to urinate. It is a form of urinary incontinence (the unintentional loss of…
Overbreathing

See: Hyperventilation
Overgrowth

Just what it sounds like: excessive growth
Overgrowth syndrome

One in a group of disorders resulting in overgrowth, as evidenced by unusually large size at birth, excessive postnatal growth, and increased weight, increased length, and/or increased head circumference. There is an…
Overload, iron

Iron overload can damage the heart, liver, gonads and other organs. Iron overload is a particular risk for: > >People with certain genetic conditions such as hemochromatosis; and >People receiving repeated blood…
Overweight

The term 'overweight' is used in two different ways. In one sense it is a way of saying imprecisely that someone is heavy. The other sense of 'overweight' is more precise and designates a state between normal weight and…
Ovulation

The release of the ripe egg from the ovary. The egg is released when the cavity surrounding it (the follicle) breaks open in response to a hormonal signal. Ovulation occurs around fourteen or fifteen days from the first…
Ovulatory

Relating to ovulation, the release of the ovum (the egg) from the ovary
Ovum

An egg in the ovary of the female. This egg is called the female 'gamete' or sex cell. It combines with the male gamete, called a sperm, to form a zygote. This formation process is called 'fertilization.' (see sperm…
Oxter

The armpit. From the Old English oxta or ohsta. The word oxter is used in certain areas of the world (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England), reminding us that there are many local and colloquial names for parts of the…
Oxy

Street name for OxyContin, prescription painkiller that has become a popular and dangerous recreational drug. OxyContin is a time-release morphine-like narcotic intended to relieve chronic pain of moderate to severe…
Oxycodone

Oxycodone: Oxycodone is the active ingredient in OxyContin. Oxycodone is an opioid, a close relative of morphine, heroin, codeine, fentanyl, and methadone.
OxyContin

OxyContin: A prescription painkiller that has become a popular and dangerous recreational drug. Also called 'Oxy' in the street. OxyContin is a time-release morphine-like narcotic intended to relieve chronic pain of…
Oxygen

A colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that makes up about 20% of the air we breathe (and at least half the weight of the entire solid crust of the earth) and which combines with most of the other elements to form…
Oxygen mask

A mask that covers the mouth and nose, and is hooked up to an oxygen tank. It delivers oxygen directly to the patient. Oxygen can also be delivered directly through a nasal catheter, a tube that divides into two smaller…
Oxygen tent

A tent-like device used to deliver high levels of oxygen to a patient in a bed. The tent typically covers the whole bed of an infant and the head and upper body of an older child or adult. The oxygen is pumped in from a…
Oxygenate

To add oxygen to any chemical or physical system, including the human body. Oxygenate can also refer to the process of treating a patient with oxygen, or of combining a medication or other substance with oxygen…
Oxygenating

Pertaining to the addition of oxygen, as to the human body. Oxygenating may refer to the process of treating a patient with oxygen, or to combining a medication or other substance with oxygen
Oxygenation

The addition of oxygen to any system, including the human body. Oxygenation may also refer to the process of treating a patient with oxygen, or of combining a medication or other substance with oxygen. Hyperbaric…
Oxyhemoglobin

The oxygen-loaded form of hemoglobin, the predominant protein in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is a protein molecule that binds to oxygen. Hemoglobin forms an unstable, reversible bond with oxygen. In its oxygen-loaded…
Oxymetholone

A male hormone that stimulates production of the male hormone testosterone. It is sometimes given to treat hormonal imbalance in men, or certain types of disease in both men and women
Oxytocin

A hormone made in the brain that plays a role in childbirth and lactation by causing muscles to contract in the uterus (womb) and the mammary glands in the breast. Animal studies have shown that oxytocin also has a role…
Oxyuris

A group of intestinal worms that includes pinworm.
Oz.

Abbreviation for ounce
Ozone

A form of oxygen that consists of three atoms of oxygen, in contrast to normal atmospheric oxygen which consists of two atoms of oxygen. Ozone is an important greenhouse gas found in both the stratosphere and the…