| A | B |
|---|
| ABC | Aspiration biopsy cytology |
| acellular | Without cells. |
| adhesion | An abnormal fibrous connection between two structures or surfaces. |
| adipocere | A waxy material formed by the decomposition of fatty materials in a dead body, especially one submerged in water or buried in damp ground. |
| aerobic | Living, growing, or taking place in the presence of oxygen. |
| afferent | Conducting toward a structure. |
| agminated | Clustured, aggregated. |
| agonal | Referring to the last moments of life. |
| agmastigote | An immature form of Leishmania, lacking a flagellum. |
| amniocentesis | Removal of a quantity of amniotic fluid from the pregnant uterus for diagnostic purposes. |
| amorphous | Without form or shape. |
| amphophilic | Attracting stains of both acidic and basic reaction. |
| anaerobic | Living, growing, or taking place in the absence of oxygen. |
| anencephaly | Congenital absence of the cranium and most or all of the cerebrum. |
| anisonucleosis | Abnormal variation in the sizes of cell nuclei. |
| anlage | The earliest discernible rudiment of a structure during embryonic development; primordium. |
| anorexia | Loss of appetite. |
| anoxia | Deficiency of oxygen. |
| antimesenteric | Referring to the side of the bowel opposite the attachment of the mesentery. |
| apatite | A calcium phosphate salt found in bones and teeth. |
| apoptosis | Fragmentation of a cell into particles, each of which is surrounded by a membrane |
| arthralgia | Pain in one or more joints, with or without evidence of inflammation |
| asplenia | Absence of the spleen |
| atresia | Congenital absence or closure of an orifice or passage |
| atypia | Irregularity, departure from expected appearance |
| azurophilic | Showing an affinity for blue aniline stains |
| bacteremia | The presence of bacteria in the blood circulation |
| BAL | Bronchoalveolar lavage |
| Bard-Parker blade | Proprietary name for disposable scalpel blades and used in surgery and in performing autopsies |
| beefy | Having the appearance or texture of raw lean meat |
| Betz cell | A pyramidal ganglion cell of the cerebral cortex |
| bifurcation | Division of a vessel or other structure into two branches |
| bioptome | A cutting instrument for obtaining biopsies |
| bland | W/o evidence of inflammation |
| boss | A rounded prominence or knob |
| bosselated | Marked or covered by bosses |
| burrow | A linear cutaneous lesion created by the migration of a parasite beneath the skin surface |
| calcinosis | Deposition of calcium salts in tissue |
| calvarium | The top of the skull |
| cancerization | Malignant degeneration |
| carneous degeneration | Tissue change producing a fleshy texture |
| carnification | Same as carneous degeneration |
| cast | An elongated mass formed by inspissation of semisolid material in a tubular structure |
| Caves-Shutz-Stanford bioptome | An instrument for obtaining a biopsy of the myocardium via a transvenous catheter |
| chancre | The primary lesion of syphilis, a painless indurated ulcer |
| Chiba needle | An aspiration biopsy needle. |
| chilblain | Local cutaneous inflammation caused by exposure to cold and damp. |
| choristoma | A mass of heterotropic tissue. |
| chylous | Containing or resembling chyle |
| chyle | The milky fluid containing absorbed nutrients passing from the digestive tract to the circulatory system via the thoracic duct. |
| circumscribed | Surrounded, clearly demarcated from adjacent structures |
| coagulopathy | Any disorder of blood coagulation |
| colic | A sharp, intermittent pain in the trunk of the body, generally due to smooth muscle spasm or obstruction of a tubular structure. |
| concretion | A gritty or sandy material, usually formed by deposition of mineral salts. |
| congenital | Present from birth. |
| Cook needle | An aspiration biopsy needle. |
| coryza | The common cold, or any similar condition with nasal congestion and discharge. |
| Councilman chisel | An autopsy instrument used for splitting bone. |
| crenated | Having a shriveled or pitted surface. |
| crepitation | Crackling. |
| crepitus | Synonym of crepitation |
| cribiform | Perforated like a sieve |
| cutis anserina | Gooseflesh; erection of the hairs in respone to cold or fear |
| cyanotic | Showing an abnormal bluish discoloration |
| cyst | Any fluid-filled abnormal structure. |
| debris | Amorphous material resulting from injury, degeneration, or necrosis of tissue. |
| denuded | Uncovered, deprived of a normal surface. |
| depth | The deepest portion of a surgically excised specimen, as in “The margins and depths of the specimen are free of malignant cells.” |
| dilated | Enlarged. |
| DIC | Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a condition in which the wide-spread clotting of blood in vessels consumes clotting factors and leads to hemorrhage. |
| ectasia | Expansion or dilatation of a duct or vessel. |
| ectopia | Abnormal location of a tissue or structure. |
| efferent | Conducting away from a structure. |
| effusion | An oozing or outpouring of fluid. |
| emphysema | Abnormal presence of air within tissues. |
| endosteum | The connective-tissue lining of the marrow cavity of a bone. |
| enterotome | An autopsy instrument used for opening the intestine. |
| eosinophilia | 1. Affinity for eosin and other acidic stains. 2. An abnormal increase of eosinophils in the circulating blood or in tissue. |
| epistaxis | Nosebleed. |
| erythema | Abnormal redness. |
| erythema nodosum | A hypersensitivity reaction to various abnormal conditions, characterized by formation of tender red nodules beneath the skin, especially over the shins. |
| erythroderma | Redness of the skin. |
| eschar | A crust or scab of exudate or devitalized tissue forming at the site of a burn or other injury. |
| etiology | The study of the causes of disease; often used in the sense of “cause.” |
| excrescence | An abnormal nodule or mass growing away from a surface. |
| exophytic | Growing away from a surface. |
| extravasate | To leak or ooze from vessels |
| fascicle | A small bundle. |
| fibrofatty | Consisting of fibrous and fatty connective tissue. |
| fibrovascular | Consisting of fibrous connective tissue and blood vessels. |
| filiform | Threadlike. |
| flaccid | Limp, not spastic or rigid. |
| flagellum | A whiplike process characteristic of certain protozoans. |
| florid | Fully developed, as in “florid cirrhosis.” |
| focal | Confined to one or several distinct sites or foci. |
| frank | Fully, developed, obvious, unequivocal, as in “frank pus.” |
| Franseen needle | A needle used for aspiration biopsy as well as for removal of a solid core of tissue. |
| friable | Crumbly, readily broken up. |
| fungating | Growing rapildy and irregularly, like a fungus, usually said of a neoplasm. |
| fusiform | Spindle-shaped; an elongated structure that is thicker in the middle than at either end. |
| gemistocyte | A swollen astrocyte with an eccentric nucleus. |
| Gluck rib shears | An autopsy instrument used to cut through the costosternal joints. |
| granular | Speckled or grainy in appearance or texture |
| Greene needle | A biopsy needle used for aspiration and also for removal of solid tissue specimens |
| grumous | Lumpy; said of a liquid or semisolid material with small, denser masses or bodies suspended in it. |
| gumma | A rubbery nodule of inflammation and necrosis, characteristic of tertiary syphilis. |
| hematemesis | Vomiting blood. |
| hemoglobinuria | The presence of hemoglobin, as distinct from whole blood, in the urine. |
| hemoptysis | Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract. |
| hepatoslenomegaly | Enlargement of the liver. |
| hereditary | Inherited; affecting the genetic makeup of an organism. |
| host | The person or animal in whom an infection or infestation develops. |
| Howship’s lacuna | A pit or cavity resulting from resorption of calcium from bone. |
| Hutchinson’s teeth | Notched incisor teeth in congenital syphilis. |
| hypercapnia | Excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. |
| hypoxia | Deficiency of oxygen. |
| iatrogenic | Referring to a condition abnormality, disease, or injury that results from medical or surgical treatment or from a diagnostic procedure. |
| idiopathic | Arising spontaneously; said of a diseaes or abnormality whose cause is unknown. |
| in situ | In its original or normal position; said of a malignancy that has not begun to extend or invade beyond its tissue of orgin. |
| induration | Abnormal hardening of tissue |
| injection | Hyperemia; dilation of blood vessels causing redness of a surface or tissue. |
| inoculation | Introduction of infectious material into a living host or culture medium. |
| inspissated | Dried out, thickened; said of fluid or semisolid materials. |
| Jamshidi needle | A biopsy needle. |
| karyorrhexis | Fragmentation of cell nuclei. |
| keratoacanthoma | A benign epidermal tumor resembling squamous cell carcinoma |
| koilocytosis | A hollow appearance of cells. |
| lamellated | Layered, basically a synonym of laminated. |
| laminated | Layered, basically a synonym of lamellated |
| Lee needle | A cutting biopsy needle. |
| lesion | Any local, objectively perceptible abnormality in tissues resulting fromf injury or disease. |
| leukocytosis | Abnormal increase in circulating leukocytes |
| leukoderma | Abnormal whiteness of skin. |
| leukopenia | Abnormal decrease in circulating leukocytes. |
| ligneous | Woody. |
| lipidosis | Any abnormal condition characterized by an increased amount of lipid. |
| lipidophage | A microphage that has ingested lipid material. |
| macrometastasis | A grossly evident metastasis. |
| Madayag needle | A biopsy needle used for aspiration and also for removal of solid tissue specimens. |
| malar | Pertaining to the cheeks. |
| marantic | Pertaining to cachexia or wasting |
| marasmus | Wasting, cachexia, particularly when due to protein and caloric deficiency in children. |
| meaty | Having the appearance or texture of raw meat. |
| mediastinum | That part of the thoracic cavity lying between the lungs. |
| melena | Tarry black stools, generally due to bleeding within the digestive tract. |
| mesangial | Pertaining ot the mesangium. |
| mesangium | A membrane that supports the capillary loops of a glomerulus. |
| metabolism | A general term referring to the sum of biochemical processes taking place in a living organism, or to specific groups of such processes, as in “carbohydrate metabolism.” |
| microfilaria | The prelarval stage of various tissue worms. |
| micrometastasis | A microscopic metastasis. |
| mongolism | Down’s syndrome, a chromosomal disorder characterized by skeletal abnormalities and mental retardation. |
| mononucleosis | Excessive numbers of mononuclear cells in circulating blood. |
| morphology | The study of the shape or appearance of structures; often used as a synonym of “shape” or “appearance.” |
| mottled | Irregularly covered with darker or lighter spots. |
| mucopus | A mixture of mucus and pus. |
| mummification | Necrosis of tissue (as in gangrene) or of a dead body accompanied by extreme drying and shriveling, w/ only slight evidence of putrefaction. |
| myalgia | Muscular pain. |
| mycosis | Any fungal infection. |
| mycotic aneurysm | Aneurysm due to local infection w/ a fungus. Although this is the literal meaning of the term,in practice it usually refers to local infection caused by bacteria carried in the circulation from another site. |
| nephrocalcinosis | Deposition of calcium salts in the tissue of the kidney. |
| normocephalic | Having a normal head. |
| nosocomial | Pertaining to a hospital, and particularly to an infection contracted by a hospitalized person. |
| nuclear dust | Fragments of a nucleus that has undergone karyorrhexis. |
| obliteration | Complete removal of a structure, or complete filling of a cavity or passage. |
| oliguria | Abnormal reduction in the volume of urine. |
| opportunistic | Said of microorganisms that seldom invade healthy persons but often cause infections in person with diminished immunity or in tissues already damaged by injury or disease. |
| organogenesis | Formation of organs during embryonic development. |
| orthochromatic | Showing normal or expected staining properties. |
| osteoblastic | Referring to development or overdevelopment of bone tissue. |
| osteolytic | Referring to absorption or destruction of bone tissue. |
| ostium | A small orifice. |
| palisade | A configuratoin created by structures lined up like the palings of a fence. |
| palpation | Feeling a structure or tissue for diagnostic purposes. |
| papillary | Showing nipplelike projections. |
| paracentesis | Removal of fluid from a cavity, especially the abdominal cavity, with a hollow needle. |
| patchy | Occurring in irregulary shaped and irregularly distributed areas. |
| patent | Open, unobstructed. |
| pedunculated | Attached to a surface by a stalk. |
| perforation | Creation of an abnormal opening, usually in a hollow structure. |
| perfusion | The flow of a fluid through the vessels of a structure, generally referring to blood circulation. |
| perichondrium | The connective-tissue covering of a cartilage. |
| peristalsis | The coordinated wave of muscular contractions in a tubular organ such as the intestine by which its contents are propelled forward. |
| phlebolith | A calcified thrombus inside a vein. |
| phlegmon | An indurated zone of inflammation and necrosis caused by pyogenic bacteria. |
| plantar | Pertaining to the sole of the foot. |
| plasmacytic | Pertaining to plasma cells. |
| pleocytosis | An increase in the number of cells, particulary in the cerebrospinal fluid. |
| pleomorphic | Occurring in various forms. |
| polarity | Orientation of elongated structures, particularly with respect to an axis. |
| polygonal | Many-sided, basically a synonym of polyhedral. |
| polyhedral | Many-sided, basically a synonym of polygonal. |
| porencephaly | The presence of cysts or cavities in the cerebral cortex. |
| prenatal | Before birth. |
| primary | : Said of a disease or condition not known to result from some other disease or abnormal condition; cf. secondary. |
| primordium | The earliest discernible rudiment of a structure during embryonic development. |
| anlage | Synonym of primordium. |
| probe patent | Allowing the passage of a probe; said of an orifice or hollow or tubular structure. |
| proliferation | Reproduction, growth through increase in number of components. |
| protuberant | Bulging, protruding. |
| proudflesh | Granulation tissue of skin or mucous membrane. |
| pruritus | Itching. |
| psammoma body | A small, concentrically laminated mass of calcareous material found in certain neoplasms. |
| pseudomembrane | A film of exudate or tissue debris resembling a membrane. |
| punctate | Forming or resembling a spot or dot. |
| pyriform | Pear-shaped. |
| refractile | Transmitting light rays in the manner of glass or water, with deviation of rays as they pass into the surrounding air. |
| Rein rib-cutting knife | Autopsy instrument for severing the costosternal joints. |
| rest | 1. A mass of surviving embryonic cells. 2. A mass of cells misplaced during embryonic development (e.g., adrenal tissue in the kidney). |
| retroperitoneal | Behind the peritoneal cavity. |
| rosette | A ring-shaped cluster. |
| Rotex needle | A cutting biopsy needle. |
| rouleau | A roll of erythrocytes like a stack of coins |
| saddle embolus | An embolus consisting of a thrombus that comes to rest at the bifurcation of an artery, blocking both branches. |
| sand, brain | Gritty material found in the pineal body, the choroid plexus, and other structures within the brain. |
| saponification | Formation of soap or soaplike material. |
| sarcoplasm | The cytoplasm of striated muscle fibers. |
| satellite | A cell, structure, or lesion found in association with a larger one. |
| scaphoid | Boatlike; said of an abdomen that appears concave when the subject is supine. |
| sclerosis | Hardening |
| secondary | Due to some other condition or disease; as in "secondary hypertension." |
| siderophage | A macrophage that has ingested hemosiderin |
| skin slip | Abnormal mobility of the skin over subcutaneous structures due to early putrefactive changes in a dead body. |
| slough | Complete separation of inflamed or devitalized tissue. |
| spondylitis | Inflammation of 1 or more vertebrae. |
| stable | Firm, displaying no abnormal mobility or looseness. |
| stellate | Star-shaped |
| stenosis | Abnormal narrowing of an orifice or tubular structure. |
| stippling | Speckling with fine dots. |
| storage disease | A metabolic disorder that causes excessive accumulation of a substance such as glycogen in cells or tissues. |
| suture, cranial | A joint between 2 of the bones of the cranial vault. |
| syndrome | A combination of symptoms or abnormal signs having a common cause. |
| teratology | The study of congenital and developmental abnormalities. |
| thermocoagulation | Coagulation of tissues by excessive heat. |
| thora(co)centesis | Removal of fluid from the thoracic cavity. |
| tortuous | Twisted, winding. |
| toxicology | The study of poisons and their effects on living organisms |
| traction artifact | Abnormal appearances created in tissue by suction or stretching during the obtaining of a biopsy specimen. |
| transect | To cut across. |
| transudate | A fluid low in fibrin and cells that has passed through a membrane. |
| trocar | A sharp pointed instrument used to puncture a cavity. |
| Trucut needle | A cutting biopsy needle. |
| Turner needle | A biopsy needle for aspiration and cutting of solid tissue specimens. |
| umbilicated | Having a central pit or dimple. |
| unattended death | Death of a person not under medical care. |
| unremarkable | Displaying no abnormal or unusual features. |
| urticaria | Hives; a transitory eruption of itchy white papules (wheals) usually due to an allergy. |
| vasoconstriction | Constriction of blood vessels, principally arterioles. |
| vasodilatation | Dilatation of blood vessels, principally arterioles. |
| vesicular | Resembling a bladder; said of a cell nucleus whose chromatin has been displaced to the margin of the nucleus,creating a hollow/open appearance |
| Virchow chisel | An autopsy instrument used for splitting bone. |
| viremia | The presence of a virus in the blood |
| Westcott needle | A cutting biopsy needle. |
| whorl | A circular swirl or vortex. |
| xeroderma | Abnormal dryness of the skin. |
| zymogen granules | Secretory granules in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelium, representing precursors of enzymes. |
