Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Glossary of Terms

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

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

Alkaline phosphatase: An enzyme that liberates phosphate under alkaline conditions and is ...

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

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM): An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital dis...

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

Asbestos: A natural material made up of tiny fibers that is used as thermal insulation. In...

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

Asymptomatic: Without symptoms. For example, an asymptomatic infection is an infection wit...

Atelectasis: Failure of full expansion of the lung at birth, or lung collapse thereafter. ...

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

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

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

Blastoma: A tumor thought to arise in embryonic tissue. This term is commonly used as part...

Blastomycosis: Infection with a fungus called Blastomyces dermatitidis. The infection caus...

Bronchi: The plural of bronchus.

Bronchoscope: A thin, flexible instrument with a lighted viewing tube that is used to visu...

Bronchoscopy: A procedure that permits the doctor to see the breathing passages through a...

Calcification: The process of suffusing tissues with calcium salts.

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

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

Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs. Ex...

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...

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Chloride: The major anion (negatively charged substance) in the blood and extracellular fl...

Colonic: 1. See: Colonic (adjective). 2. See: Colonic (noun).

Computed tomography: An x-ray procedure that uses the help of a computer to produce a deta...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Cryptococcosis: Infection with fungus (usually in a yeast form) from the genus Crypto...

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...

Cyst: A closed sac or capsule, usually filled with fluid or semisolid material.

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

Echinococcus: A tiny parasitic tapeworm. The larval stage of this tapeworm can cause human...

Endemic: Present in a community at all times but in relatively low frequency. Something t...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

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

False positive: A result that indicates that a given condition is present when it is not. ...

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

Fluoroscopy: An x-ray procedure that makes it possible to see internal organs in motion.

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Glucose: The simple sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is found in the bloo...

Granuloma: A granuloma is one of a number of forms of localized nodular inflammation fou...

Hamartoma: A benign (noncancerous) tumor-like growth consisting of a disorganized mixture ...

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

Histoplasmosis: A disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Most people with hi...

Hydrocarbon: An organic compound composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon. All hydrocar...

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

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

Immunoglobulin: A protein produced by plasma cells and lymphocytes and characteristic of t...

Immunoglobulin G: A class of immunoglobulins found in all body fluids. They are the smalle...

Immunoglobulin M: A class of immunoglobulins found in blood and lymph fluid that are the f...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

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

Infarct: An area of tissue death that is due to a local lack of oxygen.

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 ...

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

Lateral: 1. In anatomy, the side of the body or a body part that is farther from th...

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

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

Lobe: Part of an organ that appears to be separate in some way from the rest. A lobe may b...

Lung cancer: Cancer of the major organ of respiration - the lung. Lung cancer kills more m...

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

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

Lymphoid: Referring to lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, or to tissue in which lymp...

Lymphoid tissue: The part of the body's immune system that is important for the immune res...

Lymphoma: A tumor of the lymphoid tissue. The major types of lymphoma are Hodgkin's diseas...

Malformation: A structural defect in the body due to abnormal embryonic or fetal developme...

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

Malignant: 1. Tending to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant ...

Membranous: Pertaining to a membrane. As in acute membranous gingivitis, membranous nephro...

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

Metastasis: 1. The process by which cancer spreads from the place at which it firs...

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

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

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

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Mycobacterium: A large family of bacteria that have unusually waxy cell walls that are res...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: The bacterium that causes tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis has un...

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship: A survivor-led advocacy group that works on be...

Neoplasm: A tumor.

Neoplastic: Pertaining to a tumor or the process of tumor formation.

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Nickel: A silver-white metallic element. Long-term exposure to nickel, such as from jewelr...

Nocardiosis: Infection with Nocardia, filamentous bacteria found in soil worldwide. Infect...

Nodular: Bumpy.

Nodule: A small collection of tissue that is palpable (can be felt) at any level of the sk...

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

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...

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

Parasitic: Having to do with a parasite, as in a parasitic infection; or acting like a par...

Periphery: 1. The outside or surface of a structure; the portion outside the centr...

PET scan: The popular name (and abbreviation) of Positron Emission To...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Positron emission tomography: PET. A highly specialized imaging technique that uses short-...

Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist...

Primary tumor: A tumor that is at the original site where it first arose. For example, a p...

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 ...

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

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Radiologic: Having to do with radiology.

Radon: A radioactive element that is formed, as a gas, during the breakdown of radium. Rad...

Red blood cells: The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

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

Rheumatoid nodules: Rheumatoid nodules are firm lumps in the skin of patients with rheumat...

Sarcoidosis: A disease of unknown origin that causes small lumps (granulomas) due to chron...

Sarcoma: One of a group of tumors usually arising from connective tissue. Most sarcomas ar...

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

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...

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

Specificity: 1. The quality of being specific as, for example, she showed the use o...

SPECT: An acronym that stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, a nuclear me...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

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

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...

Tapeworm: A worm that is flat like a tape measure and functions as an intestinal parasite,...

Thoracotomy: An operation to open the chest, usually in order to gain access to the lungs ...

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Tuberculin: A protein extracted from Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is used in a skin tes...

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 ...

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

Vasculitis: A general term for a group of uncommon diseases that feature inflammation of t...

Vinyl chloride: A substance used in manufacturing plastics that is known to be toxic and c...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Windpipe: The trachea, a tube-like portion of the respiratory (breathing) tract that conn...

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