Ascites Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal cavity: The cavity within the abdomen, the space between the abdominal wall and...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Albumin: The main protein in human blood and the key to regulating the osmotic pressure of...

Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge...

Aldosterone: A hormone produced by the outer portion (cortex) of the adrenal gland. Aldost...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Ascites: An abnormal accumulation of fluid within the abdomen. There are many causes of as...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Capillary: A tiny blood vessel that connects an arteriole (the smallest division of an art...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Cavities: Holes or structural damage in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel...

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic pancreatitis: A form of pancreatitis in which there is persistent inflammation of ...

Circulation: In medicine, the movement of fluid through the body in a regular or circuitou...

Circulatory: Having to do with circulation, the movement of fluid in a regular or circuito...

Circulatory system: The system that moves blood throughout the body. The circulatory syste...

Cirrhosis: Liver disease characterized by irreversible scarring. Alcohol and viral hepatit...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Digestive system: The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the bo...

Distention: The state of being distended, enlarged, swollen from internal pressure.

Diuretic: Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney. All diuretics caus...

Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or ...

Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnea is a sign of serious...

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Effusion: Too much fluid, an outpouring of fluid. For example, a pleural effusion is an ab...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

Encephalopathy: Disease, damage, or malfunction of the brain. In general, encephalopathy i...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fibroma: A benign tumor consisting of a mass of connective tisue cells that have a spindle...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Heart muscle: A type of muscle with unique features only found in the heart. The heart mus...

Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. He...

Hepatic: Having to do with the liver.

Hepatic vein: One of the veins which drains blood from the liver.

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ...

Hepatosplenomegaly: Abnormal enlargement of the liver and spleen. Hepatosplenomegaly is ty...

Hyponatremia: Low sodium in the blood. Hyponatremia can be caused by many conditions and w...

Hypothyroid: Deficiency of thyroid hormone which is normally made by the thyroid gland wh...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Inflammatory response: A fundamental type of response by the body to disease and injury, a...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Internal jugular vein: The deeper of the two jugular veins in the neck that drain blood fr...

Interventional: Pertaining to the act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the ...

Interventional radiologist: A radiologist who uses image guidance methods to gain access t...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Intrahepatic: Within the liver. For example, a liver tumor is an intrahepatic growth.

Jugular: The principal vein in the front of either side of the neck. The word comes from t...

Jugular vein: The jugular veins are in the neck and drain blood from the head, brain, face...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Liver shunt: Transjugular, intrahepatic, portosystemic shunt (TIPS), is a shunt (tube) pla...

Liver transplant: Surgery to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver (...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Malignancy: A tumor that is malignant (cancerous), that can invade and destroy nearby tiss...

Malnutrition: A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive eno...

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uteru...

Metabolism: The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. ...

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

Mortality rate: A death rate. There are a number of different types of mortality rates as,...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Orthopnea: The inability to breathe easily except when sitting up straight or standing ere...

Ounce: A measure of weight equal to 1/16^th of a pound or, metrically, 28.35 gra...

Ovarian: Of or pertaining to the ovary.

Ovarian cancer: A malignant tumor of the ovary, the egg sac in a female. Women who have a ...

Ovary: The female gonad, one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. The ovaries are lo...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Pancreatic: Having to do with the pancreas.

Pancreatic cancer: A malignant tumor of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer has been called a ...

Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas. Of the many causes of pancreatitis, the most c...

Paracentesis: The removal of fluid from a body cavity via a needle, a trocar, a cannula, o...

Peritoneal: Having to do with the peritoneum.

Peritoneum: The membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers most of the abdominal ...

Peritonitis: Inflammation of the peritoneum (The peritoneum is the tissue layer of cells l...

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Platelet count: The calculated number of platelets in a volume of blood, usually expressed...

Pleural: Pertaining to the pleura, the thin covering that protects the lungs. The term "pl...

Portal vein: A large vein formed by the union of the splenic and superior mesenteric veins...

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Radiologist: A physician specialized in radiology, the branch of medicine that uses ionizi...

Refractory: Not yielding, or not yielding readily, to treatment.

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Shunt: 1) To move a body fluid, such as cerebrospinal fluid, from one place to another. 2...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

Stent: A tube designed to be inserted into a vessel or passageway to keep it open. Stents ...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood products from one person (the donor) into the ...

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: A shunt that allows blood from the portal c...

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Viral hepatitis: Liver inflammation caused by a virus. Specific hepatitis viruses have bee...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...

White blood cell count (leukocyte count): The number of white blood cells (WBCs) in the b...