Category: C

A form of the disease scleroderma, an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. A person afflicted with congenital hypothyroidism.  

A birth defect comprising a characteristic group of deformities that involve an abnormal fusion, or joining, between some of the bones of the skull and face. The fusion does not allow the craniofacial bones (bones of the skull and face) to grow normally, which affects the shape of the head and the appearance of the…

A natural substance used to treat urinary tract infections. Components of cranberry prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder. Cranberry is available in pill form as well as in sweetened juice products. A tart red fruit, Vaccinium macrocarpon, commonly used in the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Evidence supporting…

Small, crablike organisms that attach themselves to human hairs. Crab lice usually live in pubic hair, but may also become attached to eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair in the armpits or on the face. The lice may be transmitted by direct physical contact with a person who has crab lice or contact with an infested person’s…

Counseling or psychotherapy that focuses on the interactions between two people in a long-term relationship. Also known as marital therapy or marriage therapy, couples therapy is used for married couples, homosexual partners, and unmarried heterosexual couples. Common reasons for entering into couples therapy include feelings of being unloved, criticized, constantly belittled, or neglected in the…

Expelling sputum that contains blood, also called hemoptysis. While coughing up blood may be alarming, it is not always serious. Flecks of blood in the sputum may indicate acute or chronic bronchitis. However, when large amounts of blood are coughed up, or blood-flecked sputum persists, a prompt medical evaluation is necessary to exclude a serious…

A noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, usually sudden and involuntary, that is recurrent and may either produce a dry, hacking sound or bring up phlegm. When a cough recurs and is persistent for more than 3 weeks, it is termed a chronic cough. A cough that occurs daily for at least three weeks.…

The group of three types of hormones produced by the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal glands). The steroid group of hormones includes androgens and estrogens, the two sex hormones that affect sexual development and reproduction; glucocorticoids, which maintain glucose (sugar) regulation, suppress the immune and inflammation responses, and increase in concentration in…

An ovarian cyst in which a fluid-filled sac develops from a persistent corpus luteum, the yellow pouch that remains after an egg has been released from a follicle (egg sac) in the ovary. If the egg is not fertilized, the body normally resorbs the corpus luteum. Corpus luteum cysts usually go away in a few…

In pregnancy, a test in which contractions are induced in the mother’s uterus, and the heart rate of the fetus is monitored electronically to measure the fetal response to the contractions. Monitoring the baby’s heartbeat assesses the baby’s health and can help the doctor decide whether to let the pregnancy go on or to induce…