Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «A»:
ACh (acetylcholine): Abbreviation for acetylcholine. See: Acetylcholine....
Achalasia: A disease of the esophagus caused by the abnormal function of nerves and muscles of the esophagus that makes swallowing difficult. There may sometimes be chest pain. Regurgitation of undigested food can occur, as can coughing or breathing problems due to entry of food into the lungs. The ...
AChE (acetylcholinesterase): Abbreviation for acetylcholinesterase. See: Acetylcholinesterase....
Achilles: In Greek mythology, the hero who was thought to have some special medical knowledge. Achilles studied medicine with Chiron, the centaur, who invented it.
"...But save me. Take me to the ship, cut this arrow out of my leg, wash the blood from it with warm water and put the right things on i...
Achilles tendon: A tough sinew that attaches the
calf muscle to the back of the heel bone. The Achilles tendon is one of the longest tendons in the body. It is also called the tendo Achilles or the tendo calcaneus, the calcaneus being the heel bone.
According to Greek mythology, Achilles's mother h...
Achilles tendonitis: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the tough sinew that attaches the calf muscle to the back of the calcaneus or heel bone.
Achilles tendonitis causes pain and often swelling over the Achilles tendon. The tendon is tender and may be swollen. There is pain on rising up on the t...
Achillobursitis: Pain due to inflammation of the bursa associated with the Achilles tendon. .
The Achilles tendon is one of the better known anatomic features in sports medicine due to the abrupt dramatic nature of some injuries to this tendon. It is in the back of the lower leg and connects the cal...
Achillodynia: Pain due to inflammation of the Achilles tendon or the bursa associated with it.
The Achilles tendon is one of the better known anatomic features in sports medicine due to the abrupt dramatic nature of some injuries to this tendon. It is in the back of the lower leg and connects the ca...
Achlorhydria: A lack of hydrochloric acid in the digestive juices in the stomach (in technical terms, so that the pH of the stomach contents fails to fall below 4.0 under maximal stimulation). Hydrochloric acid helps digest food.
Achlorhydria can be due to many diverse causes including:
Achondrogenesis: A genetic disorder of bonwe resulting in short-limbed dwarfism. There are a number of different types of achondrogenesis. See: Achondrogenesis type II....
Achondrogenesis type II
Achondrogenesis type II: A severe inherited disorder of bone growth characterized by a short body and limbs and a lack of bone formation in the spine and pelvis.
Infants with this disorder have short arms and legs, a small chest with short ribs, and underdeveloped lungs. The skull bones may be sof...
Achondrogenesis, Langer-Saldino type
Achondrogenesis, Langer-Saldino type: See: Achondrogenesis type II....
Achondrogenesis-hypochondrogenesis, type II
Achondrogenesis-hypochondrogenesis, type II: See: Achondrogenesis type II....
Achondroplasia: The most common form of short stature with disproportionately short limbs -- dwarfism with short arms and legs. Achondroplasia is caused by mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 gene (FGFR3), which is located on chromosome 4 in chromosome band 4p16.3.
Aside from short a...
Achoo syndrome: A disorder 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 to brilliant sunlight. The number of successive sneezes is usually 2 or 3, but can be up to about 4...