Cirrhosis 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 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.

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

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...

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

Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would b...

Alpha-1: Short for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: An inherited disorder characterized by a lack of the alpha...

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

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

Atresia: Absence of a normal opening, or failure of a structure to be tubular. Atresia can...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Autoimmune hepatitis: A disease in which the body's immune system attacks liver cells, cau...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder a...

Biliary: Having to do with the gallbladder, bile ducts, or bile. The biliary system itself...

Biliary atresia: Congenital absence or closure of the major bile ducts, the ducts that dra...

Bilirubin: A yellow-orange compound that is produced by the breakdown of hemoglobin from r...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

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, ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

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

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

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...

Colchicine: A substance found in a plant that is used in clinical medicine for the treatme...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

Congestion: An abnormal or excessive accumulation of a body fluid. The term is used broadl...

Coronary artery disease: Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood t...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cystic fibrosis: A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is ch...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Delirium: A sudden state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function, sometime...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

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

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

Donor: The giver of a tissue or an organ, such as a blood donor or kidney donor.

Duct: A walled passageway, such as a lymph duct, that carries fluid from one place to anot...

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

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

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

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

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

Fats: Plural of the word "fat". See the definition of fat.

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

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

Galactosemia: An inherited disorder of galactose metabolism that occurs in newborns and ca...

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Gallstones: Stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones can be as smal...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Glycogen storage disease: One of the multiple inherited disorders of metabolism that inter...

Gynecomastia: Excessive development of the male breasts. Temporary enlargement of the brea...

HCV: Hepatitis C virus.

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

Heart disease: Any disorder that affects the heart. Sometimes the term "heart disease" is ...

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...

Hemochromatosis: An inherited disorder characterized by abnormally high absorption of iron...

Hemorrhoids: Dilated (enlarged) veins in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the re...

Hepatic: Having to do with the liver.

Hepatic encephalopathy: Brain dysfunction directly due to liver dysfunction, most often re...

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

Hepatitis B: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), once thought t...

Hepatitis C: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usuall...

Hepatitis D: Liver inflammation due to the hepatitis D virus (HDV), which causes disease o...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natur...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

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 ...

Injure: To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emotional sense. Fr...

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

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Jaundice: Yellow staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) by abnormally h...

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

Laparoscope: An instrument through which structures within the abdomen and pelvis can be s...

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

Liver biopsy: A procedure in which a small sample of the liver is removed for the diagnosi...

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

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...

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

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

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

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

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

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

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Obesity: The state of being well above one's normal weight.

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

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...

Outpatient: A patient who is not hospitalized, but instead comes to a physician?s office, ...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

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

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Poison: Any substance that can cause severe organ damage or death if ingested, breathed in...

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

Protein malnutrition: Insufficient intake of nitrogen-containing food (protein) to mainta...

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

Radioisotope: A version of a chemical element that has an unstable nucleus and emits radia...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Rib: One of the 12 paired arches of bone that form the skeletal structure of the chest wal...

Rib cage: The structure formed by the thoracic vertebrae and ribs, the sternum (breastbone...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Steatohepatitis: Fatty inflammation of the liver, usually in alcoholics. Steato- refers to...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Supportive care: Treatment given to prevent, control, or relieve complications and side ef...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

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

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

Testes: Plural of testis.

Tiredness: See: Tired.

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

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

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

UNOS: United Network for Organ Sharing.

Vaccination: Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against...

Varicose veins: See: Varicose vein.

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 infection: Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is retinol. Carotene compounds (found, for example, in egg yolk, butt...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...

Vomit: Matter from the stomach that has come up into and may be ejected beyond the mouth, ...

Wasting: 1. Gradual loss (for example, of weight), deterioration, emaciation. As in...

Water retention: A nonspecific term meaning the accumulation of excess fluids in body tiss...

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