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

Scurvy

See: Scutellaria barbata.
Scutellaria

See: Scutellaria barbata
Scutellaria barbata

A Chinese herb that belongs to a group of herbs named Scutellaria (scullcap or skullcap). It is related to mint. Both the root and the above-ground part of Scutellaria barbata have been used to make herbal medicines…
SCYA2

Small inducible cytokine A2. See: MPC1
SDF-1

An intensely itchy rash due to contact with the tiny thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). These jellyfish are common between March and August in the waters off of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean…
Sea poisoning

An intensely itchy rash due to contact with the tiny thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). These jellyfish are common between March and August in the waters off of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean…
Seabather's itch

An intensely itchy rash due to contact with the tiny thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). These jellyfish are common between March and August in the waters off of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean…
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

See: SAD.
Seat belt

A belt used to hold an individual in their seat. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Over 70% of those killed were not wearing seat belts. Seat belts can help…
Sebaceous cyst

A sebaceous cyst is a rounded swollen area of the skin formed by an abnormal sac of retained excretion (sebum) from the sebaceous follicles.
Sebaceous gland

A normal gland of the skin which empties an oily secretion into the hair follicle near the surface of the skin
Seborrhea

Seborrhea: A chronic inflammatory disease of the skin characterized by the accumulation of scales of greasy skin. There may be yellow crusted patches that are itchy. Seborrhea often affects the scalp. Other sites…
Seborrheic dermatitis

A medical name for what is popularly called seborrhea
Seborrheic eczema

Yellowish, oily, scaly patches of skin on the scalp, face, and occasionally other parts of the body
Seborrheic keratosis

See: Keratosis, seborrheic
Sebum

An oily secretion of the sebaceous gland which helps to preserve the flexibility of the hair
Seckel syndrome

The second cranial nerve is the optic nerve, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain and carries the impulses formed by the retina -- the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light and creates the…
Second cranial nerve

The second cranial nerve is the optic nerve, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain and carries the impulses formed by the retina -- the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light and creates the…
Second degree burn

See: Burn, second degree
Second stage of labor

The part of labor from the full dilatation of the cervix until the baby is completely out of the birth canal. The second stage of labor is also called the stage of expulsion
Second wave

A phenomenon of infections that can develop during a pandemic. The disease infects one group of people first. Infections appear to decrease. And then, infections increase in a different part of the population, resulting…
Second-hand smoke

Environmental tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntarily or passively by someone who is not smoking. Environmental tobacco smoke is generated from the sidestream (the burning end) of a cigarette, pipe or cigar or from…
Secondary amenorrhea

The abnormal cessation of menstruation. Amenorrhea is conventionally divided into primary and secondary amenorrhea. With primary amenorrhea, menstruation never takes place. It fails to occur at puberty. With secondary…
Secondary amyloidosis

Amyloidosis: One of a group of diseases (called amyloidosis) in which protein deposits (amyloid) accumulate in one or more organ systems in the body, secondary amyloid is caused by a chronic infection or inflammatory…
Secondary atelectasis

Partial or total collapse of a lung or a segment of a lung that was once expanded, as may happen after chest surgery. Secondary atelectasis is in contrast to primary atelectasis in which there is failure of the lung to…
Secondary cataract

See: Cataract, secondary
Secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension

See: Pulmonary hypertension
Secondhand smoke

Also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). See: ETS
Secretary's knee

The patellofemoral syndrome (PFS), the commonest cause of chronic knee pain. PFS characteristically causes vague discomfort of the inner knee area, aggravated by activity (running, jumping, climbing or descending…
Secretase, beta-

An enzyme that appears to be directly involved in the early development of Alzheimer's disease. Beta-secretase is a protease (an enzyme that catalyses the splitting of interior peptide bonds in a protein)…
Secretin

A hormone made by glands in the small intestine that acts to stimulate pancreatic secretions. Commercially available secretin is either porcine (pigs) secretin or a synthesized form of human secretin. Secretin is of…
Section

1) In anatomy, a slice of tissue. A biopsy obtained by surgery is usually sectioned (sliced), and these sections are inspected under a microscope. 2) In obstetrics, short for Caesarian section. 3) In surgery, the…
Section, Caesarian

Also referred to as a C-section. A procedure in which a baby, rather than being born vaginally, is surgically extracted (removed) from the uterus. As the name 'Caesarian' suggests, this is not exactly a new procedure…
Section, Cesarian

The obstetrical procedure is often spelled this way in the U.S. with just an 'e'although the Roman emperor remains Caesar in America with an 'ae'. Also referred to as a C-section. No matter what, it is a procedure in…
Section, cross

A transverse cut through a structure. The opposite is a longitudinal section
Section, longitudinal

A cut along the long axis of a structure
Section, lower segment Cesarian (LSCS)

A Cesarian section in which the surgical incision (cut) is made in the lower segment of the uterus
Sedative

A drug that calms a patient down, easing agitation and permitting sleep. Sedatives generally work by modulating signals within the central nervous system. These sedatives can dangerously depress important signals needed…
Sedimentation rate

Sedimentation rate: A blood test that detects and monitors inflammation in the body. It measures the rate at which red blood cells (RBCs) in a test tube separate from blood serum over time, becoming sediment in the…
Seed implantation

Radiation treatment given by placing radioactive material contained within a small cylindrical shell directly in or near the target, often a tumor
Seedrin

Trade name of the insecticide aldrin. See: Aldrin and dieldrin
SEER

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Ends Results (SEER) program that maintains statistics on cancer in the US. SEER is part of the National Cancer Institute. For more information, see: SEER program
SEER program

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an authoritative source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the US. The SEER program is the only…
Segawa dystonia

Dystonia: An important variant form of dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD). DRD typically begins in childhood or adolescence with progressive difficulty in walking and, in some cases, with spasticity. DRD, by definition, can…
Segment, genomic

A region of the genome; it encompasses objects described as loci or probes. Genomic segments can range in size from points to regions as large as an entire chromosome. There are many types of genomic regions. On a…
Segmental arterial Doppler pressures

A test that measures the blood pressures in the legs to make sure there is normal blood flow. The test is usually done when there is intermittent claudication (leg pain on exercise). Normally the blood pressures in the…
Seizure

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical convulsion, minor physical signs, thought disturbances, or a combination of symptoms. The type of symptoms and seizures depend on…
Seizure disorders

One of a great many medical conditions that are characterized by episodes of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain (seizures). Some seizure disorders are hereditary, but others are caused by birth defects or…
Seizure, absence

See: Absence seizure
Seizure, astatic

See: Atonic seizure