Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «D»:
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Deficiency, lactase
Deficiency, lactase: Not enough of an enzyme called lactase in the small intestine to digest lactose, a prominent
component of milk and most other dairy products. Lactose is sometimes
also used as an ingredient in other foods, so anyone with lactase
deficiency should check food labels with care. ...
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Deficiency, LCHAD
Deficiency, LCHAD: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) has been found to be associated in some cases with an abnormality of fatty-acid metabolism. This abnormality is a deficiency of the enzyme long-chain-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenease (LCHAD).
The mother (and father) have 50% of normal LCHAD a...
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Deficiency, magnesium
Deficiency, magnesium: Can occur due to inadequate
intake or impaired intestinal absorption of magnesium. Low magnesium (hypomagnesemia) is
often associated with low calcium (hypocalcemia) and potassium (hypokalemia) levels.
Deficiency of magnesium causes increased irritability of the nervous system...
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Deficiency, niacin
Deficiency, niacin: See: Pellagra....
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Deficiency, phenylalanine hydroxylase
Deficiency, phenylalanine hydroxylase: See Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency....
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Deficiency, protein C
Deficiency, protein C: Protein C is a protein in plasma
that enters into the cascade of biochemical events leading to the formation of a clot.
Deficiency of protein C results in thrombotic (clotting) disease. ...
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Deficiency, selenium
Deficiency, selenium: Lack of the essential
mineral selenium, which can cause Keshan disease, a fatal form of cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) that was first observed in Keshan province in China and has since found elsewhere.
Treatment involves ensuring adequate selenium. The recommended...
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Deficiency, sphingomyelinase
Deficiency, sphingomyelinase: Also called Niemann-Pick disease, this is a disorder of the metabolism of a lipid (fat) called sphingomyelin that usually causes the progressive development of enlargement of the liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), "swollen glands" (lymphadenopathy), anemia and ment...
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Deficiency, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase
Deficiency, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase: Underactivity of a liver enzyme that is essential to the disposal of bilirubin (the chemical
that results from the normal breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells).
The deficiency of this enzyme (UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) results in a condition called...
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Deficiency, UROD
Deficiency, UROD: See: UROD deficiency....
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Deficiency, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase
Deficiency, uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase: See: UROD deficiency....
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Deficiency, vitamin K
Deficiency, vitamin K: A lack of vitamin K resulting in an increase in the clotting time of the blood, impaired clotting and a tendency to excessive bleeding. Blood clotting is delayed or prevented because vitamin K is unavailable to act as an essential element (a cofactor) in the body's production ...
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Deficiency, zinc
Deficiency, zinc: According to the National Academy
of Sciences, the Recommended Dietary Allowances of zinc are 12
milligrams per day for women and 10 milligrams per day for men.
Food sources of zinc include meat including liver, eggs, seafood,
nuts and cereal.
Deficiency of zinc is associated with ...
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Deformation
Deformation: A change from the normal size or shape of an anatomic structure due to mechanical forces that distort an otherwise normal structure. Deformations occur most often late in pregnancy or during
delivery. A twin pregnancy can cause deformations due to crowding of the twins late in pregnanc...
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Deformity, cauliflower-ear
Deformity, cauliflower-ear: Destruction of the
underlying cartilage framework of the outer ear (pinnae), usually caused by either infection or trauma, resulting in a thickening of the ear. Classically, blood collects (hematoma) between the ear cartilage and the skin. There is a marked thickening of ...
