Medications

Lymphatic: 1. One of the lymphatics, vessel that convey the lymph fluid. 2. Pertaining to the lymph, lymphoid tissue, or lymphocytes. 3. Lacking energy. Sluggish. From the Latin lympha (water or water goddess), from the Greek nymphe ( nymph)....

Lymphangitis - Medical

Lymphangitis: The red streaking and gland ( lymph node) swelling in the area of an injury especially on the extremities. It is usually caused by a bacterial infection with Streptococcus. The bacteria enter the body through a cut, scrape, bite ...

Lymphangioma - Medical

Lymphangioma: A structure consisting of a collection of blood vessels and lymph vessels that are overgrown and clumped together. Depending on their nature, these structures may grow slowly or quickly. They can cause problems because of their locat...

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis - Medical

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: A lung disease characterized by an unusual type of muscle cell that invades the tissue of the lungs, including the airways, blood vessels, and lymph vessels. Over time, these muscle cells form into bundles and grow int...

Lymphangiogram - Medical

Lymphangiogram: X-rays of the lymphatic system. A dye is injected to outline the lymphatic vessels and organs. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Lymphatic system: The tissues and organs, including the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and l...

Lymphadenopathy-associated virus - Medical

Lymphadenopathy-associated virus: Another name for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. Please see: Lymphadenopathy virus. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Medical Author: ...

Lymphadenopathy virus - Medical

Lymphadenopathy virus: Another name for the human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV), the cause of AIDS. HIV has also been called the human lymphotropic virus type III and the lymphadenopathy-associated virus and the lymphadenopathy virus. No m...

Lymphadenopathy - Medical

Lymphadenopathy: Abnormally enlarged lymph nodes. Commonly called "swollen glands." The term "lymphadenopathy" is not as tough as it looks. It is made up of three words: lymph + adeno- (meaning gland) + -pathy (meaning disease) = lymph gland disease...

Lymphadenitis, regional - Medical

Lymphadenitis, regional: Cat scratch disease, a mild flu-like infection, with swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenitis) and mild fever of short duration, due to cat scratches, especially from kittens. There is usually a little bump (a papule) which may be...

Lymph node, sentinel - Medical

Lymph node, sentinel: The first lymph node ("gland") to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor. Which lymph node is the sentinel node for a given tumor is determined by injecting around the tumor a tracer substance that will travel through the l...

Lymph node - Medical

Lymph node: Also sometimes referred to as lymph glands, lymph nodes are small rounded or bean-shaped masses of lymphatic tissue surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes are located in many places in the lymphatic system through...

Lymph gland - Medical

Lymph gland: See Lymph node. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Lymph node: Also sometimes referred to as lymph glands, lymph nodes are small rounded or bean-shaped masses of lymphatic tissue surrounded by a capsule of connective tis...

Lymph - Medical

Lymph: An almost colorless fluid that travels through vessels called lymphatics in the lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight infection and disease.Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM...

Lyme disease - Medical

Lyme disease: Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a "spirochete." Lyme disease is spread by ticks when they bite the skin. Lyme disease can cause abnormalities in the skin, joints, heart and nervous system. In...

Lycanthropy - Medical

Lycanthropy: The delusion that one has become a wolf or the werewolf transformation. Werewolf myths were associated with the phases of the moon. The werewolf was thought to take over when the moon was full. The word "lycanthropy" is from the Gree...

LVRS - Medical

LVRS: Lung volume reduction surgery. See: Lung reduction surgery.Last Editorial Review: 8/15/2004 Lung reduction surgery: A surgical treatment for patients with advanced emphysema in which 20-35% of the emphysematous lung is removed to allow the rem...

LVF - Medical

LVF: 1. Left ventricular failure, failure of the left side of the heart. 2. Left ventricular function, the function of the left ventricle. In both of these senses, LVF is in contrast to RVF (right ventricular failure or function).Last Editorial Rev...

LVAD - Medical

LVAD: Left ventricular assist device. See: Ventricular assist device. Last Editorial Review: 8/17/2003 Ventricular assist device: A mechanical pump that takes over the function of the damaged ventricle of the heart and restores normal blood flow. ...

Luxation - Medical

Luxation: Complete dislocation of a joint. A partial dislocation is a subluxation. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM Joint: A joint is the area where two bones are attached for the purpose of motion of body parts. A joint is usually ...

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone - Medical

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone: A hormone that controls sex hormones in men and women. Also called LHRH. Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM...

Luteinizing hormone - Medical

Luteinizing hormone: A hormone released by the pituitary gland in response to luteinizing hormone- releasing hormone. Abbreviated LH, it controls the length and sequence of the female menstrual cycle, including ovulation, preparation the uteru...

Luschka, foramina of - Medical

Luschka, foramina of: Two openings from the fourth ventricle, one in a system of four communicating cavities called ventricles within the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord. The four ventricles consist of the two lat...

LUQ - Medical

LUQ: Abbreviation for the left upper quadrant (quarter). The LUQ of the abdomen contains the spleen. (By contrast, RUQ stands for the right upper quadrant, LLQ stands for the left lower quadrant, and RLQ stands for the right lower quadrant.)...

Lupus in pregnancy - Medical

Lupus in pregnancy: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy, a high-risk situation. The high risks are to both the mother and child. Women with SLE can have flares of SLE during pregnancy. There is also a markedly increased risk of a m...

Lupus - Medical

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Patients with lupus have unusual antibodies in their blood that are targeted against ...

Lunule - Medical

Lunule: 1. The crescent-shaped area at the base of a fingernail or toenail. 2. Any small crescent- or moon-shaped area or structure. Borrowed from the French lunule, from the Latin lunula, the diminuitive of luna, the moon. Also called the lunula....

Lunula - Medical

Lunula: 1. The crescent-shaped area at the base of a fingernail or toenail. 2. Any small crescent- or moon-shaped area or structure. Lunula is the diminuitive of the Latin luna, the moon. Also called the lunule. Last Editorial Review: 1/19/2004...

Lungs - Medical

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon dioxide from and bring oxygen to the blood. There is a right and left lung. Last Editorial Review: 3/26/1998 2:27:00 PM...

Lung, collapsed - Medical

Lung, collapsed: Failure of full expansion of a once fully expanded lung. Medically called atelectasis. The word comes from the Greek "a-" (without) "telos" (complete) + "rectasis" (expansion) = without complete expansion. Last Editorial ...

Lung, and Blood Institute, National Heart, - Medical

Lung, and Blood Institute, National Heart, (NHLBI): One of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., the NHLBI's mission is to "provide leadership for a national research program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and blo...