Medical terms - Letter S (page 25) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Sutton law

See: Sutton's law
Sutton's law

In medicine, the principle of going straight to the most likely diagnosis. The law is named for the bank robber Willy Sutton who was asked why he robbed banks and who replied 'because that is where the money is' (or so…
Suture

See: SV40.
SV 40

See: SV40
SV40

Simian virus 40, a polyomavirus found in simians (nonhuman primates), SV40 has no relationship to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or to the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Some lots of polio vaccines in the…
Swallower

In the drug trade, an individual used as a drug courier. Also called a body packer. See: Body packer
Swallowing syncope

The temporary loss of consciousness upon swallowing. Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse and include having blood drawn…
Swallowing tube

Descriptive term for the esophagus. See: Esophagus.
Swan-Ganz catheter

See: Catheter, Swan-Ganz
Sweat

A colorless transparent acidic fluid with a distinctive odor secreted by the small tubular sudoriferous (sweat) glands situated within the skin and under it in the subcutaneous tissue. The sweat glands discharge their…
Sweat chloride test

Sweat chloride test: A test for cystic fibrosis. See: Sweat test.
Sweat gland

The sweat (sudoriferous) glands are small tubular structures situated within and under the skin (in the subcutaneous tissue). They discharge sweat by tiny openings in the surface of the skin. The sweat is a transparent…
Sweat gland tumor

A benign (harmless) skin tumor called a syringoma that derives from cells related to sweat glands. (These particular specialized cells are scientifically referred to as eccrine.) NTER> The skin lesions of syringomas…
Sweat test

A simple test that is used to evaluate a patient who is suspected of having cystic fibrosis (CF). The goal of the test is to stimulate the patient's skin to produce a certain amount of sweat, which may then be absorbed…
Sweating

The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. These are small tubular glands situated within and under the skin (in the subcutaneous tissue). They discharge by tiny openings in the surface…
Sweating, gustatory

Sweating on the forehead, face, scalp, and neck occurring soon after ingesting food. Some gustatory sweating is normal after eating hot, spicy foods. Otherwise, gustatory sweating is most commonly a result of damage to…
Sweats, night

Severe hot flashes which occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. Night sweats have many possible causes, including medications, infections, and cancers
Sweet wormwood

A Chinese herb (also called qinghaosu) from which is extracted the antimalarial agent artemisinin
Swelling of the brain

See: Cerebral edema
Swimmer's ear

Swimmer's ear: Infection of the skin covering the outer ear canal that leads in to the ear drum, usually due to bacteria such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, or pseudomonas. Swimmer's ear is usually caused by…
Swimming pool granuloma

Localized nodular skin inflammation (small reddish raised areas of skin) caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium marinum. Swimming pool granuloma is typically acquired by occupational or recreational exposure to salt…
Sydenham chorea

An acute neurologic disorder that emerges several months following a streptococcal ('strep') infection, most frequently in children between the age of 5 and 15. There may be a history of a strep throat or a strep skin…
Sydenham's chorea

See: Sydenham chorea
Sydenham, Thomas

(1624-1689) Great English physician who has been called the 'English Hippocrates' and the 'father of English medicine.' Sydenham left Oxford to fight in the English Civil Wars during which he met Thomas Coxe, a…
Sylvatic plague

Plague that is spread by ground squirrels and other wild rodents, for example, in the western portion of the United States. 'Sylvatic' means pertaining to the woods (sylvan)
Sylvius, aqueduct of

A canal that communicates between the third and fourth ventricles in a system of four communicating cavities within the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord. The four ventricles consist of…
Symbol of medicine

A staff or a rod with a snake curled around it; the staff of Aesculapius, also called Asklepios, the ancient mythical god of medicine. For more information, see; Medical symbol.
Symbol of pediatrics

See: Infant in swaddling
Symmetric lipomatosis, multiple

A disorder characterized by painless symmetrical diffuse deposits of fat beneath the skin of the neck, upper trunk, arms and legs. The condition is thought to be genetic although its exact mode of inheritance is…
Sympathetic nervous system

A part of the nervous system that serves to accelerate the heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system constitute the autonomic…
Sympathetic ophthalmia

An autoimmune eye disease in which a penetrating injury to one eye produces inflammation in the uninjured eye. (The injured eye is termed the 'exciting' eye while the uninjured one is the 'sympathetic' eye.) The…
Sympathicoblastoma

A surgical procedure to effect an immediate dramatic increase in the size of the pelvic outlet to permit delivery of a baby. The cartilage of the symphysis pubis (where the pubic bones come together) is surgically…
Symphysiotomy

A surgical procedure to effect an immediate dramatic increase in the size of the pelvic outlet to permit delivery of a baby. The cartilage of the symphysis pubis (where the pubic bones come together) is surgically…
Symphysis pubis

The area in the front of the pelvis where the pubic bones (the two bones of the pubis) meet
Symptom

Any subjective evidence of disease. Anxiety, lower back pain, and fatigue are all symptoms. They are sensations only the patient can perceive. In contrast, a sign is objective evidence of disease. A bloody nose is a…
Symptom of pregnancy

See: Pregnancy symptom
Symptomatic

1 With symptoms, as a symptomatic infection. 2 Characteristic, as behavior symptomatic of Huntington disease. 3 Directed at the symptoms, as symptomatic treatment
Symptomatic treatment

Therapy that eases the symptoms without addressing the basic cause of the disease. For example, symptomatic treatment of advanced lung cancer that has spread (metastasized) beyond the lung is designed to decrease the…
Symptoms, withdrawal

Abnormal physical or psychological features that follow the abrupt discontinuation of a drug that has the capability of producing physical dependence. Common withdrawal symptoms include sweating, tremor, vomiting…
Synaesthesia

See: Synesthesia
Synapse

The point of connection usually between two nerve cells. Specifically, a synapse is a specialized junction at which a nerve cell (a neuron) communicates with a target cell. The neuron releases a chemical transmitter (a…
Synapsis

The side-by-side and point-by-point pairing of homologous chromosomes during meiosis
Synaptic cleft

The tiny space between two nerve cells across which the neurotransmitter acetylcholine diffuses
Synaptonemal complex

A protein structure that forms between two homologous chromosomes during meiosis and that is thought to mediate chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination. The synaptonemal complex is a tripartite structure…
Syncephaly

Conjoined twins whose heads are joined together. From syn-, together + -cephaly, head = heads together. Also called craniopagus or janiceps
Synchronic study

A study done at a single point in time rather than over the course of a period of time (longitudinally)
Syncope

The temporary loss of consciousness upon coughing. Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse and include having blood drawn…
Syncope, coughing

The temporary loss of consciousness upon coughing. Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse and include having blood drawn…
Syncope, defecation

The temporary loss of consciousness upon defecating (having a bowel movement). Syncope is the temporary loss of consciousness or, in plain English, fainting. The situations that trigger this reaction are diverse and…
Syncope, heat

Sudden dizziness or fainting experienced after exercising in the heat. The skin appears pale and sweaty but is generally moist and cool. The pulse may be weakened, and the heart rate is usually rapid. Body temperature…