Medical terms - Letter P (page 2) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Pain, shingles

Shingles: Localized pain in the area of involvement of shingles. When such pain persists beyond one month it is referred to as postherpetic neuralgia. The most common complication of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia…
Pain, shoulder

See: Shoulder pain
Painful urination

See: Dysuria
Painful vulva

Also called essential vulvodynia, a chronic, diffuse, unremitting sensation of burning of the vulva -- (the female external genital organs including the labia, clitoris, and entrance to the vagina)-- a painful sensation…
Pains, growing

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…
Palate

The roof of the mouth. The front portion is bony (hard palate), and the back portion is muscular (soft palate)
Palate, cleft

An opening in the roof of the mouth (the palate) due to a failure of the palatal shelves to come fully together from either side of the mouth and fuse, as they normally should, during embryonic development. The opening…
Palate, hard

The bony part of the roof of the mouth. The hard palate is just in front of the soft palate
Palate, soft

The muscular part of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is directly behind the hard palate. It lacks bone and so is soft
Palatine

Anatomically, pertaining to the palate. For example, the palatine bone
Palatine bone

A bone behind the maxilla which enters into the formation of the hard palate (hence, the name 'palatine'), the nasal cavity, and the floor of the orbit
Pale globe

Also called the globus pallidus, this is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere. Pallidus refers to its pallor relative to the surrounding brain substance. The…
Paleolithic diet

The Paleolithic diet is a weight loss plan based upon the premise of consuming only those foods available during the Paleolithic era (also known as the Stone Age). People at this time were hunter-gatherers, meaning that…
Paleostriatum

A pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. The paleostriatum is specifically part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the striate body, a component of the basal ganglia, large masses of…
Palindrome

Pertaining to a palindrome. A DNA sequence that reads the same in both directions is a palindromic sequence.
Palindromic

Pertaining to a palindrome. A DNA sequence that reads the same in both directions is a palindromic sequence
Palindromic rheumatism

To treat partially and incompletely. To palliate a diseases is to treat it partially but not cure it completely. Palliation cloaks a disease. Palliate has several senses, including: to reduce the severity of (a…
Palliate

To treat partially and incompletely. To palliate a diseases is to treat it partially but not cure it completely. Palliation cloaks a disease. Palliate has several senses, including: to reduce the severity of (a…
Palliation

To palliate a disease is to treat it partially and insofar as possible, but not cure it completely. Palliation cloaks a disease. To take a case, a 91-year-old man was found to have a tumor in his lung. He did not have…
Palliative care

1) Medical or comfort care that reduces the severity of a disease or slows its progress rather than providing a cure. For incurable diseases, in cases where the cure is not recommended due to other health concerns, and…
Palliative treatment

To palliate a disease is to treat it partially and insofar as possible, but not cure it completely. Palliation cloaks a disease. Also sometimes called symptomatic treatment. To take a case, a 91-year-old man was found…
Pallidotomy

A surgical operation performed on the globus pallidus to destroy it. The purpose of this operation is to relieve involuntary movements or muscular rigidity, as, for example, in Parkinson's disease. The globus pallidus…
Pallidum

Part of what are called the basal ganglia of the brain which consist of the globus pallidus and the ventral pallidum. The globus pallidus itself is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. (Globus is a Latin word…
Pallister-Killian syndrome

A condition with multiple malformations at birth and mental retardation due to isochromosome 12p mosaicism (an abnormal chromosome #12 in some cells).
Palm

The grasping side of the hand; the flexor surface of the hand. In contrast to the back of the hand, the extensor surface of the hand. From the Latin 'palma' for the outstretched palm of the hand. The palm tree is so…
Palmar

Pertaining to the palm (the grasping side) of the hand. The ancient Romans used the word 'palma' for the outstretched palm of the hand. By comparison, the term 'volar' applies to both the palm and sole. It comes from…
Palmar surface

The palm or grasping side of the hand
Palmitate

An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains…
Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating of the palms and soles. Palm and sole sweating tends to begin around age 13 on the average
Palpable

Something that can be felt or touched. For example, a palpable tumor is one that can be felt. From the Latin 'palpare' (to stroke or to pat)
Palpate

To touch or feel. For example, the edge of an enlarged liver may be palpated below the rib cage. From the Latin 'palpare' (to stroke or to pat). Just as the Latin word means to touch or feel lightly, that is how a…
Palpebra

The eyelid. The plural is palpebrae and the adjective is palpebral, as in palpebral fissure
Palpebral conjunctiva

The part of the conjunctiva, a clear membrane, that coats the inside of the eyelids. The palpebral conjunctiva is as opposed to the ocular (or bulbar) conjunctiva, the part of the conjunctiva that covers the outer…
Palpebral fissure

The opening for the eyes between the eyelids.
Palpebral gland

See: Meibomian gland
Palpitations

Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In some patients with palpitations, no heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms can be found. In others, palpitations result from…
Palsy

Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary movement (motor function). For example, Bell's palsy is localized paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. The word 'palsy' is a…
Palsy, Bell's

Paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve that supplies the facial muscles on one side of the face. The cause of paralysis of the facial nerve (the 7th cranial nerve) is often not known, but is thought to be due to a…
Palsy, laryngeal

Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve (a long and important nerve that originates in the brainstem and runs down to the colon). After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus…
Palsy, laryngeal nerve

Paralysis of the larynx (voice box) caused by damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve or its parent nerve, the vagus nerve, which originates in the brainstem and runs down to the colon. The recurrent laryngeal nerve…
PAM

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis
Panacea

A universal remedy, a cure-all. The word 'panacea' comes from the name of Panaceia, the daughter of Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine (whose staff with entwined snake is the symbol of medicine). Asklepios (known to…
Pancolitis

Ulcerative colitis that involves the entire colon (the large intestine). Ulcerative colitis itself is a relatively common disease involving inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). The cause is unknown. It is a…
Pancreas

A fish-shaped spongy grayish-pink organ about 6 inches (15 cm) long that stretches across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen and is connected to the…
Pancreas divisum

Pancreas divisum: Pancreas divisum is a common congenital anomaly (an anomaly that is present at birth) of the pancreatic duct(s). The Pancreas is a deep-seated organ located behind the stomach. One of its functions is…
Pancreas, annular

An abnormal ring of pancreatic tissue that encircles the duodenum and often causes intestinal obstruction. Nausea and vomiting are the usual symptoms and reflect the intestinal obstruction. Complete obstruction is…
Pancreas, artificial

A machine that constantly measures glucose (sugar) in the blood and, in response to an elevated level of glucose, releases an appropriate amount of insulin. In this respect, the machine functions like a natural pancreas
Pancreatectomy

A procedure in which a surgeon takes out part or all of the pancreas (an organ behind the lower part of the stomach that is about the size of a hand). The pancreatectomy may be done, for example, because there is a…
Pancreatic

Having to do with the pancreas, a spongy, tube-shaped organ about 6 inches long. It is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is…
Pancreatic alpha cell

A type of cell in the pancreas (the organ of the digestive system located behind the stomach). Within the pancreas, the alpha cells are located in areas called the islets of Langerhans. Alpha cells make and release…