Category: C

A cancer that involves proliferation of the white blood cells known as lymphocytes. Unlike normal lymphocytes, which are involved in maintaining the body’s immunity against invading microorganisms and other foreign invaders, the cancerous cells have little immune function and tend to accumulate in the bone marrow, bloodstream, spleen, and lymph nodes. A malignancy in which…

A cancer that develops in and around the larynx (voice box). This cancer can be detected at an early stage if changes in the voice occur. Symptoms usually include hoarseness, pain, and difficulty swallowing. If untreated, as the cancer grows within the larynx, it may eventually cause discomfort in the ears or spitting up blood.…

Infection that affects an unborn fetus at any time during a pregnancy up through and including the time of delivery. Congenital infections exist at birth and are generally caused by viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes viruses, German measles, parvovirus, chickenpox, and enteroviruses. This refers to an infection that a baby contracts while in the…

An important measure of a child’s health; physical growth follows a similar pattern in most children. With some variation in the first year of life, girls and boys grow at the same rate. Boys are usually slightly larger, except briefly at puberty. The rate of growth is fastest during embryonic and fetal development and remains…

Female sex hormones used to treat symptoms of menopause. Conjugated estrogens are also used to treat vaginitis, osteoporosis, and breast and prostate cancer. While they are useful for treating symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and dizziness, the long-term use of estrogen is risky. Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, high blood…

A birth control device that fits over a woman’s cervix and keeps sperm from entering. A contraceptive method designed for females, the diaphragm serves as a barrier against pregnancy. It takes the shape of a hemispherical dome made of thin rubber, accompanied by a metal spring encircling its rim. This contraceptive device is gently inserted…

Infection of the light-sensitive layer (retina) at the back of the eye with cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV infection usually produces no symptoms, except in people with compromised immune systems. Cytomegalic viral retinitis (also called cytomegalovirus retinitis) occurs in approximately one of every four people with AIDS and may lead to blindness. Symptoms include floaters (small, moving…

A condition in which the tissues supporting the bladder and urethra are weakened in women. The weakness can cause stress incontinence, in which urine can leak out when the woman sneezes, coughs, jumps, or lifts heavy objects. Most women with cystourethroceles develop them as a result of childbirth, which can weaken the surrounding pelvic muscles.…

A rare hormonal disorder produced by chronically increased levels of the hormone cortisol in the bloodstream; also known as hypercortisolism. Cushing syndrome tends to affect adults between the ages of 20 and 50 years. The condition resulting from excess amounts of corticosteroid hormones in the body. Symptoms include weight gain, reddening of the face and…

An emergency intervention to provide a breathing passage for an individual with great difficulty breathing because of a blockage in the upper respiratory system around the voice box. A needle is inserted into the trachea (windpipe) through the skin and a membrane called the cricothyroid, which lies just below the prominent bulge of the larynx…