Medical terms - Letter U (page 3) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Urethritis

Inflammation of the urethra. (The urethra is the transport tube leading from the bladder to discharge urine outside the body.) Urethritis can be due to several causes, including sexually transmitted diseases such as…
Urethroscope

A device for examining the inside of the urethra
URG

Urogastrone. See: EGF
Urge incontinence

A sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency, an immediate unstoppable urge to urinate. It is a form of urinary incontinence (the unintentional loss of urine) and affects…
Urgency, urinary

An immediate unstoppable urge to urinate, due to a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder
URI

Commonly used abbreviation for Upper Respiratory Infection, an infection in the respiratory tract shy of the lungs. (Do not confuse a URI with a UTI which stands for Urinary Tract Infection). A URI can be due to a large…
Uric acid

A breakdown product of purines that are part of many foods. In gout, there are frequently, but not always, elevated levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). However, only a small portion of those with…
Uricaciduria

The presence of excess uric acid in the urine, which may be a sign of gout or kidney stones
Uridine monophosphate

(UMP) A molecular ion derived from uridylic acid. It has a uracil as its base
Urinalysis

Urinalysis: A test that determines the content of the urine. Because urine removes toxins and excess liquids from the body, it can contain important clues. Urinalysis can be used to detect some types of disease…
Urinary

Having to do with the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The urinary system represents the functional and anatomic aspects of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder
Urinary calculus

A stone in the urinary tract. The word 'calculus' in Latin means 'a pebble.' Pebbles were once used for counting, from which came the mathematical field of calculus. A urinary calculus is a pebble in the urinary system
Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence: The unintentional loss of urine. Inability to hold urine in the bladder due to loss of voluntary control over the urinary sphincters resulting in the involuntary passage of urine. One cause of…
Urinary infection in children

See: Urinary tract infection in children
Urinary tract

The organs of the body that produce and discharge urine. These include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra
Urinary tract infection

Infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning when urinating. More females than males have UTIs…
Urinary tract infection in children

Infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra in a child. About 3% of girls and 1% of boys have had a recognized urinary tract infection (UTI) by age 11. The symptoms are not always obvious. They may range from…
Urinary urgency

An immediate unstoppable urge to urinate, due to a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder
Urination, burning

See: Dysuria
Urination, difficulty

See: Dysuria
Urination, painful

See: Dysuria
Urine

Liquid waste. The urine is a clear, transparent fluid. It normally has an amber color. The average amount of urine excreted in 24 hours is from 40 to 60 ounces (about 1,200 cubic centimeters). Chemically, the urine is…
Urine blood

Blood in the urine. Also called hematuria. Gross hematuria refers to blood that is so plentiful in the urine that the blood is visible grossly, with just the naked eye. Gross hematuria is in contrast to microhematuria…
Urine hemoglobin

The presence of free hemoglobin in the urine, an abnormal finding, that may make the urine look dark. Hemoglobin in the urine is termed hemoglobinuria. Hemoglobin is the protein in the red blood cells which carries…
Urine infection in children

See: Urinary tract infection in children
Urine pH

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of urine. The pH of any fluid is the measure of the hydrogen ion (H-) concentration. A pH of 7 is neutral. The lower the pH, the more acidic the urine. A variety of factors affect…
UROD

Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, an enzyme required for the synthesis of heme, a part of the hemoglobin molecule. UROD catalyses the decarboxylation of uroporphyrinogen III to coproporphyrinogen III by the conversion of…
UROD deficiency

Lack of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD) which is the basic cause of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), the late skin form of porphyria. PCT is a genetic photosensitive (light-sensitive) skin disease with…
Urogastrone

See: EGF
Urogenital

Relating to both the urinary system, and to the interior and exterior genitalia
Urography

A method for examining the structure and functionality of urinary system. A special dye is injected, and X-ray machines record its progress through the urinary tract. Urography is particularly useful for discovering…
Urolithiasis

The process of forming stones in the kidney, bladder, and/or urethra (urinary tract). Kidney stones are a common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen, flank, or groin. Kidney stones occur in 1 in 20…
Urological surgeon

A physician who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and the urinary tract and sex organs in males. Also called a urologist
Urologist

A physician who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and the urinary tract and sex organs in males. Also called a urological surgeon
Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase

See: UROD
Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase deficiency

See: UROD deficiency
Urothelium

The lining of the ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. NTER>
Urticaria

Another name for the hives. Raised, itchy areas of skin that are usually a sign of an allergic reaction. Hives can be rounded or flat-topped but are always elevated above the surrounding skin. They reflect circumscribed…
Urticaria pigmentosa

The most common form of mastocytosis consisting of small aggregations of mast cells within characteristic salmon-brown patches of ski which itch when stroked and be filled with fluid. The condition occurs occurring…
US Department of Agriculture

A department of the executive branch of the US government founded in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln -- he called it the 'people's Department' -- that is devoted to agriculture in its broadest sense. The mission of…
USDA

US Department of Agriculture
USFDA

The United States Food and Drug Administration (best known as the FDA) is an agency within the U.S. Public Health Service, which is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Background: The FDA regulates…
Usher syndrome

Usher syndrome: A genetic disorder characterized by hearing impairment and an eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa in which vision worsens over time. Some people with Usher syndrome also have balance problems. It is…
USP

United States Pharmacopeia
USPHS (United States Public Health Service)

The agency responsible for the public health of the American people. The Public Health Service (PHS) administers a number of critically important health agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the…
Ut dict.

Abbreviation meaning 'as directed' (from the Latin 'ut dictum', as directed). One of a number of hallowed abbreviations of Latin terms that have traditionally been used in prescriptions. Some others: > >a.c. = before…
Uterine bleeding

See: Menstruation. See also Menometrorrhagia; Menorrhagia; Metrorrhagia
Uterine cancer

Uterine cancer: Cancer of the womb (the uterus). Also called endometrial cancer. Cancer of the uterus occurs most often in women between the ages of 55 and 70 years. It accounts for about 6% of cancer in women. Women at…
Uterine contraction

The tightening and shortening of the uterine muscles. During labor, contractions accomplish two things: (1) they cause the cervix to thin and dilate (open); and (2) they help the baby to descend into the birth canal…
Uterine fibroids

The fornix of the uterus (known in medical Latin as the "fornix uteri") refers to the anterior (front) and posterior (back) recesses into which the upper vagina is divided. These vaultlike recesses are formed by…