Medical terms - Letter R (page 5) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Recurrence risk

In medical genetics, the recurrence risk is the chance that a genetic (inherited) disease present in the family will recur in that family and affect another person (or persons). It is the chance of 'lightning striking…
Recurrent

Back again. A recurrent fever is a fever that has returned after an intermission: a recrudescent fever
Recurrent abortion

The occurrence of 3 or more miscarriages (which are medically termed 'spontaneous abortions') with no intervening pregnancies. Recurrent abortion (or, as it is sometimes called, habitual abortion) is a form of…
Recurrent aural vertigo

A condition, also known as Meniere's disease, with recurrent vertigo accompanied by ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and deafness. Symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of hearing (in the affected…
Recurrent laryngeal nerve

One of the best known branches of the vagus nerve, a very long nerve that originates in the brainstem. After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus nerve, it goes down into the chest and then loops back up…
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis involves the growth of numerous warty growths in the larynx on the vocal cords in children and young adults. A baby can contract recurrent respiratory papillomatosis by being…
Recurrent trisomy

Recurrence of trisomy, as when there are two or more children with trisomy in the same family. Recurrent trisomy may involve the same chromosome (homotrisomy) or different chromosomes (heterotrisomy). Women who have had…
Red blood cell

The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is the hemoglobin which permits them to transport oxygen (and carbon dioxide). Hemoglobin, aside from being a transport molecule, is a pigment. It…
Red blood cells

The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is the hemoglobin which permits them to transport oxygen (and carbon dioxide). Hemoglobin, aside from being a transport molecule, is a pigment. It…
Red cell count

The number of red blood cells (RBCs) in a volume of blood. The normal range varies slightly between laboratories but is generally between 4.2 - 5.9 million cells/cmm. This can also be referred to as the erythrocyte…
Red cell distribution width

A measurement of the variability of red blood cell size. Higher numbers indicate greater variation in size. The normal range for the red cell distribution width (RDW) is 11 - 15. The RDW is a standard part of the…
Red cells

Short for red blood cells, the oxygen/carbon dioxide carrying cells in blood. Also known acronymically as RBC's, red corpuscles or erythrocytes (literally, red hollow vessels)
Red corpuscles

Red corpuscles are cells that carry oxygen in the blood. They are also called red blood cells or 'RBCs.'
Red Devils

Street name for dextromethorphan (DXM)
Red ear syndrome

An unusual type of head pain in which the ear becomes red and burning. Attacks may be brought on by triggers such as touching the ear, heat, chewing, drinking, coughing, sneezing, and neck movement. May be associated…
Red eye

Also called conjunctivitis. Redness or irritation of the conjunctivae, the membranes on the inner part of the eyelids and the membranes covering the whites of the eyes. These membranes react to a wide range of bacteria…
Red jungle fowl

Gallus gallus, the ancestor of domestic chickens
Red jungle fowl genome

The genome of Gallus gallus, the ancestor of domestic chickens. See: Chicken genome
Red Shield

Trade name of the insecticide dieldrin. See: Aldrin and dieldrin
Red yeast rice

Rice that has been fermented by the red yeast, Monascus purpureus. Red yeast rice has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. More recently, it has been used to lower blood lipids, including cholesterol and…
Red-green colorblindness

A form of colorblindness in which red and green are perceived as identical. This is the most common type of colorblindness. It is inherited in an X-linked recessive manner and affects 6% of males. It is also known as…
Reduction division

The first cell division in meiosis, the process by which germ cells are formed. A unique event in which the chromosome number is reduced from diploid (46 chromosomes) to haploid (23 chromosomes). Also called first…
Reduction mammaplasty

See: Breast reduction
Reduction, breast

See: Breast reduction
Reduviid bug

A winged insect. Reduviids include kissing bugs which transmit Chagas disease. See: Chagas disease
Redux

See: Dexfenfluramine
Reed-Sternberg cell

A type of cell that appears in patients with Hodgkin's disease. The number of these cells increases as the disease advances
Referral

The recommendation of a medical or paramedical professional. If you get a referral to ophthalmology, for example, you are being sent to the eye doctor. In HMOs and other managed care schemes, a referral is usually…
Referred pain

Pain felt at a site other than where the cause is situated. An example is the pain from the pancreas, which is felt in the back. Pain in internal organs is often referred to sites distant from them
Reflex

A reaction that is involuntary. The corneal reflex is the blink that occurs with irritation of the eye. The nasal reflex is a sneeze.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)

A condition characterized by diffuse pain, swelling and limitation of movement that follows an injury such as a fracture in an arm or leg, The symptoms are way out of proportion to the injury and may linger long after…
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS)

RSDS is a condition that features a group of typical symptoms, including pain (often 'burning' type), tenderness, and swelling of an extremity associated with varying degrees of sweating, warmth and/or coolness…
Reflex, Babinski

An important neurologic test based, believe it or not, upon what the big toe does when the sole of the foot is stimulated. If the big toe goes up, that may mean trouble. The Babinski reflex is obtained by stimulating…
Reflex, let down

The let down reflex of the mother is an involuntary reflex during breastfeeding which causes the milk to flow freely
Reflex, patellar

See: Knee jerk
Reflex, patellar tendon

See: Knee jerk
Reflex, photic sneeze

A disorder, also known as the achoo syndrome, characterized by nearly uncontrollable paroxysms of sneezing provoked in a reflex fashion by the sudden exposure of a dark-adapted subject to intensely bright light, usually…
Reflex, pressor

A pressor reflex is a neurological (nerve) reflex that constricts arterioles (small blood vessels) and thereby increases the blood pressure. 'Pressor' refers to raising the blood pressure. The word comes from the French…
Reflex, quadriceps

See: Knee jerk
Reflux

The term used when liquid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach
Reflux disease, gastroesophageal (GERD)

Reflux disease, gastroesophageal (GERD): The stomach contents regurgitate and back up (reflux) into the esophagus The food in the stomach is partially digested by stomach acid and enzymes. Normally, the partially…
Reflux laryngitis

Reflux laryngitis: Inflammation of the voice box (the larynx) caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. Reflux laryngitis is associated with chronic hoarseness and symptoms of esophageal irritation such as…
Reflux surgery (fundoplication)

A surgical technique that strengthens the barrier to acid reflux when the lower esophageal sphincter does not work normally and there is gastro-esophageal reflux. Fundoplication has been the standard surgical method for…
Reflux, esophageal

A condition wherein stomach contents regurgitate or back up (reflux) into the esophagus (a long cylindrical tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach). The food in the stomach is partially digested by…
Refract

In ophthalmology, to determine the bending of light that takes place within the human eye. Refractive errors include nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. Lenses can be used to control…
Refraction

In ophthalmology, the bending of light that takes place within the human eye. Refractive errors include nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. Lenses can be used to control the amount of…
Refraction test

Also termed vision test, the refraction test is an examination that tests an individual's ability to see an object at a specific distance. The test is performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist in the doctor's…
Refractory

Not yielding (at least not yielding readily) to treatment
Refractory anemia

Anemia (a shortage of red blood cells) unresponsive to treatment
Refsum disease

A genetic disorder affecting the metabolism of the fatty acid phytanic acid. When phytanic acid accumulates, it causes a number of progressive problems, including inflammation of numerous nerves (polyneuritis)…