| A | B |
|---|
| aneurysm | A localized abnormal dilation of a blood vessel, usually an artery, caused by weakness of the vessel wall. May eventually burst. |
| angina pectoris | A feeling of constriction around the heart or pain that may radiate to the left arm or shoulder, usually brought on by exertion; caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart. |
| arrhythmia | Any abnormality in the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. |
| cerebrovascular accident, stroke | Sudden damage to the brain resulting from reduction of blood flow. Causes include atherosclerosis, embolism, thrombosis, or hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm; commonly called stroke. |
| clubbing | Enlargement of the ends of the fingers and toes due to growth of the soft tissue around the nails. Seen in a variety of diseases in which there is poor peripheral circulation. |
| cyanosis | Bluish discoloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen |
| dissecting aneurysm | An aneurysm in which blood enters the arterial wall and separates the layers. Usually involves the aorta. |
| edema | Swelling of body tissues due to the presence of excess fluid. Causes include cardiovascular disturbances, kidney failure, inflammation, and malnutrition. |
| embolism | Obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot or other matter carried in the circulation. |
| embolus | A mass carried in the circulation. Usually a blood clot, but may also be air, fat, bacteria, or other solid matter from within or from outside the body. |
| dyspnea | Difficult or labored breathing. |
| fibrillation | Spontaneous, quivering, and ineffectual contraction of muscle fibers, as in the atria or the ventricles. |
| heart block | An interference in the conduction system of the heart resulting in arrhythmia. The conditon is classified in order of increasing severity as first, second or third degree heart block. Block in a bundle branch is designated as a left or right bundle branch block (BBB). |
| heart failure | A condition caused by the inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation of blood. |
| hypertension | A condition of higher than normal blood pressure. Essential (primary, idiopathic) hypertension has no known cause. |
| infarction | Localized necrosis of tissue resulting from a blockage or narrowing of the artery that supplies the area. A myocardial infarction occurs in cardiac muscle and usually results from formation of a thrombus in a coronary artery. |
| ischemia | Local deficiency of blood supply due to obstruction of the circulation. |
| murmur | An abnormal heart sound. A functional murmur is generated by normal heart function and does not indicate a defect. |
| occlusion | A closing off or obstruction, as of a vessel. |
| phlebitis | Inflammation of a vein. |
| rheumatic heart disease | Damage to heart valves following infection with a type of streptococcus. The antibodies produced in response to the infection produce scarring of the valves, usually the mitral valve. |
| shock | Circulatory failure resulting in inadequate supply of blood to the heart. Cardiogenic shock is due to heart failure; hypovolemic shock is due to a loss of blood volume; septic shock is due to bacterial infection. |
| stenosis | Constriction or narrowing of an opening |
| syncope | A temporary loss of consciousness due to inadequate blood flow to the brain; fainting. |
| thrombosis, thrombus | Development of a blood clot within a vessel. |
| varicose vein | A twisted and swollen vein resulting from breakdown of the valves, pooling of blood, and chronic dilatation of the vessel; also called varix or varicosity. |
| Hodgkin's disease | A malignant disease causing progressive enlargement of lymphoid tissue |
| lymphoma | Any neoplastic disease of lymphoid tissue |
| lymphadenitis | Inflammation and enlargement of lymph nodes, usually as a result of infection. |
| lymphadenopathy | Any disease of the lymph nodes; often used to mean enlarged lymph nodes. |
| lymphangiitis | Inflammation of lymphatic vessels as a result of bacterial infection. Appears as painful red streaks under the skin. |
| lymphedema | Swelling of tissues with lymph due to obstruction or excision of lymphatic vessels. |
| bradycardia | A slow heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute. |
| bruit | An abnormal sound heard in auscultation. |
| cardiac tamponade | Pathologic accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac. May result from pericarditis or injury to the heart or great vessels. |
| coarctation of the aorta | Localized narrowing of the aorta. |
| extrasystole | Premature contraction of the heart. |
| flutter | A very rapid (200-300 per minute) but regular contractions, as in the atria or the ventricles. |
| hypotension | A conditon of lower than normal blood pressure. |
| intermittent claudication | Pain in a muscle during exercise due to inadequate blood supply. The pain disappears with rest. |
| mitral valve prolapse | Movement of the cusps of the mitral valve into the left atrium when the ventricles contract. |
| occlusive vascular disease | Arteriosclerotic disease of the vessels, usually peripheral vessels. |
| palpitation | A sensation of abnormally rapid or irregular heartbeat. |
| pitting edema | Edema that retains the impression of a finger pressed firmly into the skin |
| polyarteritis nodosa | Potentially fatal collagen disease causing inflammation of small visceral arteries. Symptoms depend on the organ affected. |
| Raynaud's disease | A disorder characterized by abnormal constricton of peripheral vessesl in the arms and legs on exposure to cold. |
| regurgitation | A backward flow, such as the backflow of blood through a defective valve. |
| subacute bacterial endocarditis | Growth of bacteria in a heart or valves previously damaged by rheumatic fever |
| tachycardia | An abnormally rapid heart rate, usually over 100 beats per minute. |
| tetralogy of Fallot | A combination of four congenital heart abnormalities: pulmonary artery stenosis, interventricular septal defect, displacement of the aorta to the right, right ventricular hypertrophy. |
| thromboangiitis obliterans | Thrombotic occlusion of leg vessels in young men leading to gangrene of the feet. Patients show a hypersensitivity to tobacco. Also called Buerger's disease. |
| vegetation | Irregular outgrowths of bacteria on the heart valves; associated with rheumatic fever. |
| Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome | A cardiac arrhythmia consisting of tachycardia and a premature ventricular beat caused by an alternate conduction pathway. |
