Appendicitis Glossary of Medical Terms

Appendicitis & Appendectomy Slideshow

These are medical definitions of medical terms from the MedTerms.com medical dictionary that appear in the Appendicitis article.

Abdomen: The belly , that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and the pelvis . The abdomen is separated anatomically from the chest by the diaphragm , the powerful muscle spanning the body cavity below the lungs .
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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly , that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and the pelvis . The abdomen is separated anatomically from the chest by the diaphragm , the powerful muscle spanning the body cavity below the lungs .
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Abdominal cavity: The cavity within the abdomen, the space between the abdominal wall and the spine.
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Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly (the abdomen). Abdominal pain can come from conditions affecting a variety of organs. The abdomen is an anatomical area that is bounded by the lower margin of the ribs above, the pelvic bone (pubic ramus) below, and the flanks on each side. Although abdominal pain can arise from the tissues of the abdominal wall that surround the abdominal cavity (the skin and abdominal wall muscles), the term abdominal pain generally is used to describe pain originating from organs within the abdominal cavity (from beneath the skin and muscles). These organs include the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
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Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness that is of short duration, rapidly progressive, and in need of urgent care.
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Adenovirus: A group of viruses responsible for a spectrum of respiratory disease as well as infection of the stomach and intestine ( gastroenteritis ), eyes ( conjunctivitis ), and bladder ( cystitis ) and rash . Adenovirus respiratory diseases include a form of the common cold , pneumonia , croup , and bronchitis . Patients with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to severe complications of adenovirus infection. Acute respiratory disease (ARD), a disorder first recognized among military recruits during World War II, can be caused by adenovirus infections under conditions of crowding and stress.
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Analysis: A psychology term for processes used to gain understanding of complex emotional or behavioral issues.
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Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness. A general anesthetic puts the person to sleep . A local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a part of the body such as a tooth or an area of skin without affecting consciousness. Regional anesthesia numbs a larger part of the body such as a leg or arm, also without affecting consciousness. The term "conduction anesthesia" encompasses both local and regional anesthetic techniques. Many surgical procedures can be done with conduction anesthesia without significant pain . In many situations, such as a C-section , conduction anesthesia is safer and therefore preferable to general anesthesia. However, there are also many types of surgery in which general anesthesia is clearly appropriate.
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Appendectomy: Removal by surgery of the appendix, the small worm-like appendage of the colon (the large bowel). An appendectomy is performed because of probable appendicitis , inflammation of the wall of the appendix generally associated with infection.
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Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix , the small worm-like projection from the first part of the colon . Appendicitis usually involves infection of the appendix by bacteria that invade it and infect the wall of the appendix. Appendicitis can progress to produce an abscess (a pocket of pus) and even peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen and pelvis).
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Appendix: A small outpouching from the beginning of the large intestine (the ascending colon ). Formally called the vermiform appendix because it was thought to be wormlike.
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Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent upon another organism for life).
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Belly: That part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and the pelvis. Also called the abdomen.
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Belly button: The navel or umbilicus. The one-time site of attachment of the umbilical cord. The term "belly button" was coined around 1877.
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Bowel: Another name for the intestine . The small bowel and the large bowel are the small intestine and large intestine , respectively.
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Cell: The basic structural and functional unit in people and all living things. Each cell is a small container of chemicals and water wrapped in a membrane .
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Constipation: Infrequent (and frequently incomplete) bowel movements. The opposite of diarrhea , constipation is commonly caused by irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis , and medications (constipation can paradoxically be caused by overuse of laxatives). Colon cancer can narrow the colon and thereby cause constipation. The large bowel (colon) can be visualized by barium enema x-rays, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Barring a condition such as cancer, high-fiber diets can frequently relieve the constipation.
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Crohn's disease : A chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well. It is named for Burrill Crohn, the American gastroenterologist who first described the disease in 1932.
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CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them into pictures on a screen. CT stands for computerized tomography.
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Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus . Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus share the name "diabetes" because they are both conditions characterized by excessive urination (polyuria).
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Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease ; the identification of an illness. 2 A conclusion or decision reached by diagnosis. The diagnosis is rabies . 3 The identification of any problem. The diagnosis was a plugged IV.
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Diarrhea : A familiar phenomenon with unusually frequent or unusually liquid bowel movements, excessive watery evacuations of fecal material. The opposite of constipation . The word "diarrhea" with its odd spelling is a near steal from the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." Plato and Aristotle may have had diarrhoia while today we have diarrhea. There are myriad infectious and noninfectious causes of diarrhea.
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Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate care. Emergency department personnel may also respond to certain situations within the hospital such cardiac arrests.
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Fecal: Relating to the feces , the stool . The excrement discharged from the intestines.
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Fever : Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.).
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Fungi: Plural of fungus .
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Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the stomach and the intestines. Can cause nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea . Gastroenteritis has numerous causes: including infectious organisms (viruses, bacteria, etc.), food poisoning , and stress.
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Histoplasma: Full name: histoplasma capsulatum. A microscopic fungus that causes the disease histoplasmosis . The fungus is found throughout the world in river valleys and soil where bird or bat droppings accumulate. The spores of the fungus are released into the air when contaminated soil is disturbed (for example, by plowing fields, sweeping chicken coops, or digging holes) and the airborne spores can then be inhaled into the lungs, the primary site of infection. In the US, the fungus is so common that in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee nearly 90% of adults show evidence of exposure by a positive histoplasma skin test. The fungus can be transferred by organ transplantation.
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Immune: Protected against infection. The Latin immunis means free, exempt.
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Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease, appears in a particular population or area. In disease epidemiology, the incidence is the number of newly diagnosed cases during a specific time period. The incidence is distinct from the prevalence which refers to the number of cases alive on a certain date.
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Incision: A cut. When making an incision, a surgeon is making a cut.
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Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment therefrom.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person.
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Infertility: The diminished ability or the inability to conceive and have offspring . Infertility is also defined in specific terms as the failure to conceive after a year of regular intercourse without contraception.
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Inflammation: A basic way in which the body reacts to infection , irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain . Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response .
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Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures and preparing chemicals, etc. Although "laboratory" looks very like the Latin "laboratorium" (a place to labor, a work place), the word "laboratory" came from the Latin "elaborare" (to work out, as a problem, and with great pains), as evidenced by the Old English spelling "elaboratory" designating "a place where learned effort was applied to the solution of scientific problems."
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Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and containing the teeth, gums, and tongue. Foodstuffs are broken down mechanically in the mouth by chewing and saliva is added as a lubricant. Saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that digests starch. 2. Any opening or aperture in the body. The mouth in both senses of the word is also called the os, the Latin word for an opening, or mouth. The o in os is pronounced as in hope. The genitive form of os is oris from which comes the word oral.
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Mycobacteria: Plural of mycobacterium .
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Nausea: Nausea, is the urge to vomit. It can be brought by many causes including, systemic illnesses, such as influenza , medications, pain, and inner ear disease. When nausea and/or vomiting are persistent, or when they are accompanied by other severe symptoms such as abdominal pain , jaundice , fever, or bleeding, a physician should be consulted.
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Navel: The umbilicus, the former site of attachment of the umbilical cord, usually found in about the middle of the abdominal wall.
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Neonatal: Pertaining to the newborn period which, by convention, is the first four weeks after birth.
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Operation: Although there are many meanings to the word "operation", in medicine it refers to a surgical procedure.
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Ovarian: Of or pertaining to the ovary.
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Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia . Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors.
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Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen located between the hip bones.
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Pharmacy: A location where prescription drugs are sold. A pharmacy is, by law, constantly supervised by a licensed pharmacist.
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Pregnancy : The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. This condition can be indicated by positive results on an over-the-counter urine test, and confirmed through a blood test, ultrasound, detection of fetal heartbeat, or an X-ray. Pregnancy lasts for about nine months, measured from the date of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP). It is conventionally divided into three trimesters, each roughly three months long.
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Prenatal: Occurring or existing before birth.
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Radiology: The branch of medicine that uses ionizing and nonionizing radiation for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
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Rupture: A break or tear in any organ (such as the spleen ) or soft tissue (such as the achilles tendon ). Rupture of the appendix is more likely among uninsured and minority children when they develop appendicitis .
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Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of the body by gathering information with a sensing device.
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Stomach: 1. The sac-shaped digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upper part of the stomach connects to the esophagus, and the lower part leads into the small intestine.
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Surgery: The word "surgery" has multiple meanings. It is the branch of medicine concerned with diseases and conditions which require or are amenable to operative procedures. Surgery is the work done by a surgeon. By analogy, the work of an editor wielding his pen as a scalpel is s form of surgery. A surgery in England (and some other countries) is a physician's or dentist's office.
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Trauma: Any injury , whether physically or emotionally inflicted. "Trauma" has both a medical and a psychiatric definition. Medically, "trauma" refers to a serious or critical bodily injury, wound, or shock . This definition is often associated with trauma medicine practiced in emergency rooms and represents a popular view of the term. In psychiatry , "trauma" has assumed a different meaning and refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressful, or shocking, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.
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Trauma center: A specialized facility in a hospital that is designed to provide diagnostic and treatment services for trauma patients with physical injuries. Traumatology is the branch of surgery which deals with trauma patients.
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Ultrasound : High-frequency sound waves. Ultrasound waves can be bounced off of tissues using special devices. The echoes are then converted into a picture called a sonogram. Ultrasound imaging, referred to as ultrasonography, allows physicians and patients to get an inside view of soft tissues and body cavities, without using invasive techniques. Ultrasound is often used to examine a fetus during pregnancy . There is no convincing evidence for any danger from ultrasound during pregnancy.
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Umbilicus: The vestige left behind on a newborn's belly when the umbilical cord is cut. Also called the navel or belly button.
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Urinary: Having to do with the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The urinary system represents the functional and anatomic aspects of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
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Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce and discharge urine. These include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
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Urinary tract infection: Infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Not everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and a painful, burning when urinating. More females than males have UTIs. Underlying conditions that impair the normal urinary flow can lead to complicated UTIs.
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Urine: Liquid waste. The urine is a clear, transparent fluid. It normally has an amber color. The average amount of urine excreted in 24 hours is from 40 to 60 ounces (about 1,200 cubic centimeters). Chemically, the urine is mainly an aqueous (watery) solution of salt (sodium chloride) and substances called urea and uric acid. Normally, it contains about 960 parts of water to 40 parts of solid matter. Abnormally, it may contain sugar (in diabetes), albumen (a protein) (as in some forms of kidney disease), bile pigments (as in jaundice ), or abnormal quantities of one or another of its normal components.
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Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. Infection with a virus can cause a person to develop symptoms. The disease and symptoms that are caused depend on the type of virus and the type of cells that are infected.
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White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are several types of white blood cells ( leukocytes ). The two most common types are the lymphocytes and neutrophils (also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMNs, or "polys").
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White blood cell count (leukocyte count): The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the blood. The WBC is usually measured as part of the CBC ( complete blood count ). White blood cells are the infection-fighting cells in the blood and are distinct from the red (oxygen-carrying) blood cells known as erythrocytes. There are different types of white blood cells, including neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes ; PMNs), band cells (slightly immature neutrophils), T-type lymphocytes (T cells), B-type lymphocytes (B cells), monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. All the types of white blood cells are reflected in the white blood cell count. The normal range for the white blood cell count varies between laboratories but is usually between 4,300 and 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. This can also be referred to as the leukocyte count and can be expressed in international units as 4.3 - 10.8 x 109 cells per liter.
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Yersinia: A group of bacteria that appear rod-like under the microscope and include Yersinia pestis (the cause of the bubonic and pneumonic plague ), Yersinia entercolitica (the cause of a disease called yersinosis ), and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (which causes a condition called mesenteric adenitis, particularly in immunocompromised patients). Both Y. entercolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis have also been implicated in a viral form of arthritis . Infection with Yersinia bacteria can be treated with antibiotics.
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