Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «E»:
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Epistemic
Epistemic: Cognitive. Pertaining to cognition, the process of knowing and, more precisely, the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging.
From the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and epistanai (to know or understand)....
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Epithelial
Epithelial: Relating to the epithelium, the outside layer of cells that covers all the free, open surfaces of the body including the skin, and mucous membranes that communicate with the outside of the body....
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Epithelial basement corneal dystrophy
Epithelial basement corneal dystrophy: A disorder in which the cornea (the normally clear front window of the eye) shows grayish fingerprint lines, geographic map-like lines, and dots (or microcysts) on examination with a slit-lamp that focuses a high intensity light beam as a slit while the examin...
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Epithelial carcinoma
Epithelial carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the
cells that line an organ. ...
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Epithelium
Epithelium: The outside layer of cells that covers all
the free, open surfaces of the body including the skin, and mucous membranes that
communicate with the outside of the body. By contrast the endothelium is the layer of
cells lining the closed internal spaces of the body such as the blood vessels...
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Epitope
Epitope: A single antigenic site on a protein against which an antibody reacts....
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Epizootic
Epizootic: An epidemic outbreak of disease in an animal population, often with the implication that it may extend to humans. For example, Rift Valley fever (RVF) primarily affects livestock and can cause disease in a large number of domestic animals -- an "epizootic" -- and the presence of an RVF e...
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EPO (erythropoietin)
EPO (erythropoietin): A hormone produced by the
kidney that promotes the formation of red blood cells in the
bone marrow. EPO is a glycoprotein (a protein with a
sugar attached to it). Human EPO has a molecular weight of 34,000.
The kidney cells that make EPO are specialized and are
sensitive ...
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EPO test
EPO test: A test of the hormone EPO (erythropoietin) in blood. The EPO level can indicate bone marrow disorders, kidney disease, or EPO abuse.
Testing EPO blood levels is of value if:
Too little EPO might be responsible for too few red
blood cells (such as in evaluating anemia).
Too much EPO migh...
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Eponym
Eponym: Something named
after someone. For example, a condition called Shiel's syndrome might be named after someone named Shiel who
discovered it or described and clearly delineated it....
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EPR
EPR: Abbreviation for Electrophrenic respiration. Also known as diaphragm pacing. See: Diaphragm pacing....
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EPS
EPS: Stands for ElectroPhysiologic Study, a test of the electrical conduction system of the heart (the system that generates the heart beat).
EPS is done by threading thin plastic tubes (catheters) into a vein where the leg connects to the abdomen. A local anesthetic is given as well as a mild seda...
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Epsom salt
Epsom salt: Magnesium sulfate. Known as Epsom salt because it was originally extracted from the mineral-rich water of Epsom
(England)....
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Epstein-Barr virus
Epstein-Barr virus: A virus, abbreviated EBV, best known as the cause of infectious mononucleosis ("mono").
Infection with EBV is characterized by fatigue and general
malaise. Infection with EBV is fairly common and is usually a transient and minor thing. However, in some individuals EBV can trigg...
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EPT
EPT: Estrogen/progestin therapy....
