Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «V»:
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Vaccinia, fetal
Vaccinia, fetal: See Congenital vaccinia....
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Vaccinia, progressive
Vaccinia, progressive: See Progressive vaccinia....
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VACTERL association
VACTERL association: A nonrandom association of birth defects. VACTERL is an mnemonic in which the letters V, A, C, T, E, R, and L each stand for one or more type of malformation:
V = Vertebral anomalies; and
A = Anal atresia (no hole at the bottom end of the intestine);
C = Cardiac defect, most of...
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VAD
VAD: Ventricular assist device, a mechanical pump that takes over the function of the damaged ventricle of the heart and restores normal blood flow.
Left ventricular assist devices were developed for patients with heart disease from which they were not expected to recover and who needed mechanical...
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Vagina
Vagina: The muscular canal extending from the cervix to the
outside of the body. It is usually six to seven inches in length, and
its walls are lined with mucus membrane. It includes two vaultlike
structures, the anterior (front) vaginal fornix and the posterior
(rear) vaginal fornix. The cervix...
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Vagina, septate
Vagina, septate: A vagina that is divided, usually longitudinally, to
create a double vagina. This situation can be easily missed by the patient and even by the
doctor on exam. If the patient becomes sexually active prior to diagnosis, one of the
vaginas stretches and becomes "dominant". The other v...
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Vaginal birth after Cesarian section
Vaginal birth after Cesarian
section: It was once the rule that, after a C-section, the next
delivery also had to be by C-section. Now, vaginal delivery after Cesarian
section (VBAC) is sometimes feasible. Age is one the factors that need to be considered, since women over 30 who try a vaginal de...
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Vaginal contraceptive sponge
Vaginal contraceptive sponge: A contraceptive device that
is donut-shaped, made of plastic, contains a spermicide (nonoxynol-9)
and is inserted into the vagina to cover the cervix. A loop is
provided to ease removal.
The sponge protects against contraception for up to 24 hours and
for multiple ...
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Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge: Vaginal
discharge is a fluid produced by glands in the vaginal wall and cervix that drains from the opening of the vagina. The amount and appearance of normal vaginal discharge varies throughout the menstrual cycle. An
increase in the amount of vaginal discharge, an abnormal odo...
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Vaginal fornix
Vaginal fornix: The anterior (front) and posterior (back) recesses into which the upper vagina is divided. These vaultlike recesses are formed by protrusion of the cervix into the vagina. The fornix uteri is also known as the fornix vaginae (or the vaginal fornices) and the uterine fornices.
The f...
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Vaginal hysterectomy
Vaginal hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus
through a surgical
incision made within the vagina. With a vaginal hysterectomy, the scar
is not outwardly visible. A vaginal hysterectomy is as opposed to an
abdominal
hysterectomy in which the incision is made in the abdominal wall....
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Vaginal infection, bacterial
Vaginal infection, bacterial: See: Bacterial vaginosis....
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Vaginal introitus
Vaginal introitus: The vaginal opening is called the introitus of the vagina. The Latin word "introitus" comes from "intro", into, within + "ire", to go = to go into. In anatomy, an introitus is thus an entrance, one that goes into a canal or hollow organ such as the vagina.
The vagina is a muscul...
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Vaginal membrane
Vaginal membrane: A thin membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening. This fold of mucous membrane is usually present at birth at the orifice of the vagina. It is also called the hymen, a Greek word meaning "skin" or "membrane." The ancient Greeks applied the word "hymen" to ...
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Vaginal opening
Vaginal opening: The opening to the muscular canal extending from the cervix to the outside of the body. The word "vagina" is a Latin word meaning "a sheath or scabbard", a scabbard into which one might slide and sheath a sword. The "sword" in the case of the anatomic vagina was the penis. Love and ...
