Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Spider bites
Spider bites: Bites from spiders. These are usually irritating, but not poisonous. Localized reddening and swelling are common and pass within a few days. A few spiders
are poisonous, in the US notably the black widow and brown recluse
(brown fiddler). Bites from these spiders
require emergency...
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Spider fear
Spider fear: See: Arachnophobia....
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Spider phobia
Spider phobia: See: Arachnophobia....
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Spider telangiectasia
Spider telangiectasia: Spider veins.
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Spider veins
Spider veins: A group of widened veins that can
be seen through the surface of the skin. Their wheel-and-
spoke shape resembles a spider. Also known as spider telangiectasia.
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Spin doctor
Spin doctor: Not a physician who is expert on dizzying conditions but someone who puts a spin on the news to manipulate its meaning....
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Spina bifida
Spina bifida: A birth defect (a congenital malformation) in which there is a bony defect in the vertebral column so that part of the spinal cord, which is normally protected within the vertebral column, is exposed. People with spina bifida can suffer from bladder and bowel incontinence, cognitive (l...
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Spina bifida cystica
Spina bifida cystica: A bony defect in the vertebral
column that causes a cleft in that column. The meningeal membranes
that cover the spinal cord and part of the spinal cord protrude
through this cleft, and are clearly visible. The opening can be
surgically repaired, usually shortly after birth...
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Spina bifida occulta
Spina bifida occulta: A bony defect in the
vertebral column that causes a cleft in that column. The cleft
remains covered by skin. Treatment is usually not required....
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Spinal compression
Spinal compression: The act of exerting an abnormal amount of pressure on the spinal cord. Spinal compression may, for instance, be due to a fracture of the spine or a tumor pressing on the spinal cord....
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Spinal cord
Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies within the vertebral canal and from which the spinal nerves emerge. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves originate in the spinal cord: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal. The spinal cord and ...
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Spinal cord compression
Spinal cord compression: The act of exerting an abnormal amount of pressure on the spinal cord. Compression of the spinal cord may, for instance, be due to a fracture of the spine or a tumor pressing on the spinal cord....
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Spinal cord disease in diabetes
Spinal cord disease in diabetes: Involvement of the spinal cord in people with diabetes. Most of the neurologic attention in diabetes mellitus has focused on distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) -- abnormalities of the peripheral nerves, in particular, the nerves to the feet and hands. However, the...
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Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury: Trauma or damage to the spinal cord, the major
column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies within the
vertebral canal and from which the spinal nerves emerge. The spinal cord and the
brain constitute the central nervous system. The spinal cord consists of ne...
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Spinal fusion
Spinal fusion: A surgical procedure in which two or more of the vertebrae in the spine are united together so that motion no longer occurs between them.
Bone grafts are usually placed around the section of the spine to be fused. The body then heals the grafts over several months which joins the ver...
