Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Glossary of Terms

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis Slideshow Pictures
2. Take the RA Quiz
3. Rheumatoid Arthritis Exercises Slideshow Pictures

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

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

Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anes...

Analgesic: A drug that relieves pain.

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

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

Antinuclear antibody: An unusual antibody that is directed against structures within the n...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Arthrocentesis: A procedure in which a sterile needle and syringe are used to drain fluid ...

Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also re...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

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

Autoimmune disease: An illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own i...

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

Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients' physiologic in...

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

Blood clot: A mass of coagulated blood. A blood clot can block a major blood vessel, causi...

Bone density: Bone density is the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. It ca...

Bone scan: A nuclear medicine technique for creating images of bones on a computer screen ...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

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

Bridge: A set of one or more false teeth supported by a metal framework, used to replace ...

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

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

Cardiologist: A physician who specializes in treating heart disorders.

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Cartilage: Firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints. A flexible kind of cartilag...

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...

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...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Collarbone: A horizontal bone above the first rib that makes up the front part of the shou...

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

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cox-2: Cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme that acts to speed up the production of certain chemica...

Cox-2 inhibitor: An antiinflammatory drug that selectively blocks the cox-2 enzyme. Blocki...

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

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Dermatologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems...

DEXA: Dual energy X-ray absorptometry. See: DXA.

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. ...

Elbow: The juncture of the long bones in the middle portion of the upper extremity. The bo...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Erosion: An erosion is an eating away of a surface. ("Erodere" in Latin means to eat out.)...

Erythrocyte: A cell that contains hemoglobin and can carry oxygen to the body. Also called...

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

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

Father: (1) The male parent. (2) One who originates. For example, "Wilhelm Roentgen is con...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

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

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

Gastroenterologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases...

Glucocorticoid: A hormone that predominantly affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and, ...

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

Guided imagery: An alternative medicine technique in which patients use their imagination ...

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

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

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

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

Imagery: Both a mental process (as in imagining) and a wide variety of procedures used in...

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

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

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

Immunology: The study of all aspects of the immune system, including its structure and fun...

Immunosuppressive: 1. Pertaining to immunosuppression, the suppression of the immun...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

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 bowel disease: A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by infla...

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

Interleukin-1: A protein produced by various cells, including macrophages, interleukin-1 ...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

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

Iris: The circular, colored curtain of the eye. The opening of the iris forms the pupil. T...

Iritis: Inflammation of the iris. The iris is the circular, colored curtain in the front o...

Jaw: The movable junction of the bones below the mouth (the mandible) and the bone just ab...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Joint aspiration: A procedure whereby a sterile needle and syringe are used to drain joint...

Juvenile: Between infantile and adult. Used in medicine to indicate onset in childhood, as...

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: See: Arthritis, systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid.

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

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

Lab test: A test that is done in the laboratory where the appropriate equipment, supplies,...

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

Lens: The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.

Limb: An arm or a leg.

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

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

Lyme disease: An inflammatory disease that is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi...

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Lymph node: One of many small, bean-shaped organs located throughout the lymphatic system....

Magnesium: A mineral involved in many processes in the body including nerve signaling, the...

Marker: A piece of DNA that lies on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and t...

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

Medical school: A school with a curriculum leading to a medical degree. The mission of eve...

Meditation: A typically self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind....

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

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

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

Myalgia: Pain in the muscles or within muscle 'tissue.

Naprelan: See: Naproxen.

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

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische...

Nephrologist: A physician specializing in treating diseases of the kidneys.

NIAMS: Stands for National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, o...

Node: Literally a knot, a node is a collection of tissue. For example a lymph node, is a ...

NSAID: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a medication that is commonly prescribed or pu...

Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing ...

Occupational therapist: A licensed health professional who is trained to evaluate patients...

Ophthalmologist: A physician who practices ophthalmology.

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

Osteopenia: Mild thinning of the bone mass. Osteopenia represents a low bone mass and is n...

Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calc...

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...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Pericardial: Referring to the pericardium, the sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the he...

Pericarditis: Inflammation of the lining around the heart (the pericardium) that causes ch...

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

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Placebo: A "sugar pill" or any dummy medication or treatment.

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...

Polyarticular: Involving many joints, as opposed to monoarticular (affecting just one join...

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continui...

Probe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

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...

Psoriatic arthritis: Joint inflammation that is associated with psoriasis. Psoriatic arthr...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Range of motion: The full movement potential of a joint, usually its range of flexion and ...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Rejection: In transplantation biology, when the body's immune system attacks transplanted ...

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Residual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Rheumatoid factor: An antibody that is measurable in the blood and is used to diagnose rhe...

Rheumatologist: A specialist in the non-surgical treatment of rheumatic illnesses, espec...

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the nonsurgical evaluation...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

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

Scleroderma: A disease of connective tissue that causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to form in ...

Sedimentation rate: A blood test that detects and monitors inflammation in the body. Abbre...

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

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

Shoulder: A structure made up of two main bones: the scapula (shoulder blade) and the hume...

Skeletal: Pertaining to the skeleton, the bones of the body that collectively provide the ...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

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

Sprain: An injury to a ligament that results from overuse or trauma. The treatment of a sp...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Still's disease: See: Arthritis, systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid.

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

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Subcutaneous: Under the skin. For example, a subcutaneous injection is an injection in whi...

Subluxation: Partial dislocation of a joint. A complete dislocation is a luxation.

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

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

Synovectomy: Surgical removal of the joint lining. A synovectomy may be done to remove the...

Synovial fluid: The slippery fluid that lubricates joints. Also known as synovia.

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Systemic lupus erythematosus: A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune di...

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

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

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

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

Tuberculosis: A highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium ...

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

Tumor necrosis factor: One of multiple proteins capable of inducing necrosis (death) of tu...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

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

Uvea: An inner layer of the eye that includes the iris, the blood vessels that serve the e...

Uveitis: Inflammation of the uvea. Uveitis is a serious form of eye inflammation and requi...

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

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

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

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

Voluntary: Done in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The opposite of i...

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...

Wrist: The part of the hand that is nearest the forearm and consists of the carpal bones a...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...