Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «C»:
-
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid: CSF. A watery fluid, continuously produced and absorbed, which flows in the ventricles (cavities) within the brain and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord.
The CSF is produced by the choroid plexus, a series of infolded blood vessels projecting into the cerebral vent...
-
Cerebrovascular
Cerebrovascular: Pertaining to the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply the brain. As in cerebrovascular accident or cerebrovascular disease....
-
Cerebrovascular accident
Cerebrovascular accident: The sudden death of
some brain cells due to lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the
brain is impaired by blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A
CVA is also referred to as a stroke.
Symptoms of a stroke depend on the area of the brain
affected. The most com...
-
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) prevention
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) prevention: In many
cases, a person may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a
neurological event with the
symptoms of a stroke, but the symptoms go away within a short period
of time. This is
often caused by the narrowing or ulceration of the carotid arteries
(t...
-
Cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease: Disease of the blood vessels and, especially, the arteries that supply the brain. Cerebrovascular disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis and can lead to a stroke. See also atherosclerosis, stroke....
-
Cerebrovascular ferrocalcinosis
Cerebrovascular ferrocalcinosis: A condition, first described in 1930 by T. Fahr and therefore called Fahr syndrome, that is a genetic (inherited) neurological disorder characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium in certain of areas of the brain (including the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex...
-
Cerebrum
Cerebrum: The largest part of the brain. It is
divided into two hemispheres, or halves.
The word "cerebrum" is the Latin word for "brain." The Romans used
the same word to refer to the "skull" (which houses the brain) and
the "head" (which houses the skull). And in Rome "cerebrum" also
meant "u...
-
Certified midwife
Certified midwife: A midwife who has been
certified by her state or national agency for credentialing
midwives....
-
Certified nurse-midwife
Certified nurse-midwife: A person with an AS,
BS, or Master's degree in nursing who has also completed
specialized training in midwifery. In the US, certified
nurse-midwives (CNMs) must earn certification from the
American College of Nurse-Midwives....
-
Certified professional midwife
Certified professional midwife: A midwife who
has completed a degree in midwifery at a credentialed
educational institution. Abbreviated CPM....
-
Ceruloplasmin deficiency
Ceruloplasmin deficiency: Lack of the protein ceruloplasmin from the blood and accumulation of iron in the pancreas, liver and brain, causing diabetes and progressive nervous system degeneration with the tremors and gait abnormalities characteristic of Parkinson disease. Ceruloplasmin deficiency is...
-
Cervical
Cervical: Having to do with
any kind of neck including the neck on which the head is perched and the neck of
the uterus. The word "cervix" in Latin means "neck". That is why cervical
vertebrae and cervical cancer involve
quite disparate parts of the anatomy joined only by the meaning of
the word...
-
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer: Cancer of the entrance to the womb
(uterus). The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb).
The uterus, a hollow, pear-shaped organ, is located in a woman's
lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum. The cervix forms a
canal that opens into the vagina, which ...
-
Cervical cap
Cervical cap: A soft rubber cup with a round rim designed to fit snugly around the cervix and act as a barrier contraceptive device. A spermicide is applied to the cap before insertion to kill sperm.
A cervical cap is basically a small snug diaphragm and, like a diaphragm, a cervical cap must be s...
-
Cervical cerclage
Cervical cerclage: The surgical placement of a purse-string suture around an incompetent cervix, one that is abnormally liable to dilate, in order to prevent premature onset of labor and a miscarriage. The suture material must be removed prior to delivery....
