Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «C»:
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Carney complex
Carney complex: A multiple neoplasia syndrome with cardiac, endocrine, cutaneous, and neural tumors together with spotty pigmentation of the skin, particularly on the face, lips, and trunk, and mucosa. The Carney complex may simultaneously involve multiple endocrine glands such as the pituitary, ad...
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Carotene, beta
Carotene, beta: An antioxidant, a substance that protects
cells against oxidation damage which, it is thought, can lead to
cancer. Beta carotene is converted, as needed, to vitamin A.
Food sources of beta carotene include vegetables such as carrots,
sweet potatoes, spinach and other leafy green v...
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Carotenemia
Carotenemia: Temporary yellowing of the skin due to excessive beta carotene in the diet. The offending substance, beta carotene, is an antioxidant (a substance that protects cells against oxidation damage) and is converted by the body to vitamin A.
Carotenemia is most commonly seen in infants fed to...
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Carotenoid
Carotenoid: One of a group of compounds that includes beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin which are converted to vitamin A and are referred to as provitamin A carotenoids. The sole known role of carotenoids is to act as a source of vitamin A in the diet. Fruits and vegetables are t...
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Carotid
Carotid: Pertaining to the carotid artery and the
area near that key artery located in the front of the neck though
which blood from the heart goes to the brain.
There are 2 carotid arteries -- the right and left common carotid
arteries -- on each side of the neck. Together, the right and left
...
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Carotid artery
Carotid artery: A key artery located in the front of
the neck though which blood from the heart goes to the brain.
There are 2 carotid arteries -- the right and left common carotid
arteries -- on each side of the neck. Together, the right and left
common carotid arteries provide the principal b...
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Carotid body
Carotid body: A small "body" of tissue rich in capillaries, at the spot the carotid artery branches in the neck, containing cells that sense the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in blood and from which messages are dispatched to the medulla (in the brain) to regulate the heart rate....
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Carotid endarterectomy
Carotid endarterectomy: Endarterectomy (a surgical procedure designed to clean out material occluding an artery) done on the carotid artery (a major artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain) to restore normal blood flow through it to the brain and prevent a stroke....
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Carotid stenosis
Carotid stenosis: Abnormal narrowing of the carotid artery, often a preamble to a stroke....
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Carotid-artery stenosis
Carotid-artery stenosis: See: Carotid stenosis....
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Carpal bone
Carpal bone: One of the wrist bones. There are eight carpal bones that are arranged in two rows.
The carpal bones articulate (come together to form a joint) proximally (on their near ends) with the long bones of the forearm -- the radius and, indirectly, with the ulna -- and distally (on their far...
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Carpal tunnel release
Carpal tunnel release: A surgical procedure to
relieve pressure exerted on
the median nerve within the carpal tunnel (the carpal
tunnel syndrome). The
median nerve is pinched in the wrist as it passes through
the carpal tunnel.
The buildup of scar tissue inside the carpal tunnel leads
to this pr...
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Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome: A type of compression neuropathy (nerve damage) caused by compression and
irritation of the median nerve in the wrist. The nerve is compressed
within the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in the palm side of the wrist
that provides passage for the median nerve to the hand. The ...
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Carrier test
Carrier test: A test designed to detect carriers of a gene for
recessive genetic disorder. For example, carrier testing is done for sickle cell trait,
thalassemia trait, and the Tay-Sachs gene....
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Carrier, hemophilia
Carrier, hemophilia: See: Hemophilia carrier....
